Lock yourself
by R1kuz
Summary: Sakura was taken by Akatsuki and was brutally treated by one of its members. She had no choice to lock her feelings away so she could continue on until she was rescued. The only thing that could save her from this nightmare was the thing that started it all and she wasn't going to give it up. Not for the end of the world. [crap summary, its M for a reason, you've been warned]
1. 0

To all who read this story:

This doesn't go as the anime/manga do.

This is just some random story I came up one day while I sat at the hospital lobby when I was taking care of my dad which was hospitalized at the time. He didn't make it, sadly. RIP dad. I hate cancer.

So as I was saying, if you're looking for a story that's on the foot with the anime/manga, this isn't one.

I would like to have some reviews since I want to know the opinion over it and maybe help me with its progress.

Have in mind that English isn't my main language though I try to make sure I don't have any spelling errors by any means.

The way I write is unique.

I like to go to the point fast.

I'll try and be as detailing as possible and not sway from the point.

There are many things that inspired me to write such as music, weather, personal experiences and previous readings.

I haven't thought about the story's development yet I'm just writing without a goal and letting the story develop on its own without contradictions, since I re-read it to make sure it can fit the outcome.

Hope you enjoy it.

-R1kuz.


	2. I

**Lock Yourself**

Spring. Nature's most beautiful season was upon the village of Konoha. The cherry blossoms were full in bloom and the warm breeze carried a variety of sweet scented smells. The flowers were bright in color and thus the sky was clear and beautiful. Still with a perfect day like this, it wasn't just as good as it was at the Central Hospital of Konoha, where a serious surgery was at the clock.

"Come on…" Sakura heaved. Beads of sweat collected at her forehead and her jade orbs narrowed in concentration at her patient's still heart.

"Come on…" She dragged out and channeled a jolt of chakra to her fist where she held the patient's heart. It was risky but more effective this way for she had to make a large incision by the ribs and slide her whole hand in and clutch the muscle in her palm.

"Come on…!" Sakura once again jolted chakra but this time it was more intense and there she felt it, she felt what she was looking for; spasms.

Sakura sighed and finally took a decent breath after thirteen minutes of eternal suspense. Her patient was saved, she let go of the heart and sealed away the gap then proceeded to bandage the patient for natural healing once there wasn't any threat.

Sakura sighed and turned over to the nearest nurse in the room. "Let me know of his status every three hours, if there's an emergency you know the drill"

The nurse nodded and bowed. "Hai Sakura-sama" she wiped away the perspiration from her forehead before she turned away and pushed the patient's bed through the door for relocation.

"I need a long bath and a new uniform" She mumbled then sighed as she looked at her bloodied uniform, she didn't had time to put on the protectors when she was pushed by Tsunade to the surgery room and now her uniform was stained with blood that surely won't come off in ever no matter how many times she washed it.

She smiled at her master's trust in her, Tsunade was like her mother, kind and caring towards her tough strict and ill-tempered sometimes. Sakura felt lucky to have her in her life, she had taught her so much and she was grateful to be whom she was with her help and she sought to respect her for life's end.

Sakura headed down the hallway and entered her office where the never-ending stacks of paper towered menacingly over her desk. Her face twisted and she groaned as she went behind the desk and sunk onto the chair, to see her, you would need to tip toe over the stacks of papers.

"Why… just why!" Sakura once again groaned and for what was left of the evening she dealt with the stacks and stacks and stacks of paper, filing, signing, sorting, stamping, crumbling and analyzing them until they were an accepted 'organized'. Her job as a medic nin was tiring for she didn't had much sleep or a private life since sometimes ANBU and other ninjas sometimes burst onto her apartment for immediate medical attention and then there was Kakashi, Sai and Naruto who would crash in without any notice and she cursed the day she gave them the keys to her small apartment.

"Sakura-sama"

The nurse which was with her at the surgery room had entered her office with a chart between her hands.

"Hai?" brought out of her paper madness she looked up at the nurse.

Sakura's hair was a mess as if she had ruffled it in frustration while downing the stacks.

"It's about patient 6653" it was the one whom had had the surgery earlier on.

"Ah yes…has it been three hours since then? Already?" Sakura sighed.

"Yes Sakura-sama and also your shift ended forty five minutes ago" she let out a weak giggle.

"Crap" Sakura sighed long and lifted her hands to her temples and rubbed them "the patient?" she asked lastly.

"Vitals are good, healthy healing and quick response to the antibiotics given also there are no signs of virus activity" she explained quite happy then handed over the chart to Sakura.

"I see" she browsed over the detailed information and signed her initials over the top corner then handed over the chart to the nurse. "Keep an eye on him"

"Hai" she bowed and turned to leave but stopped just at the door "Sakura-sama? You should head home and rest, it's been a long day for you"

"Hn? Oh! Yes!" she gave a small laugh. "You should too, and get a boyfriend!"

The nurse blushed and nibbled her finger over her cheek while she chuckled.

"I-I don't think t-that's ok… I mean… how?"

Her brows furred and then looked away as Sakura kept staring at her.

"How indeed…"

Sakura mumbled as she too was clueless. _Better ask that Ino-pig_ _some un-slutty advices_. She thought.

* * *

Back at her apartment Sakura took a bath and had a light meal, when finished she headed over the living room and a naked Sai crossed her towards the guest room.

"Oi! Put some clothes on you big idiot!" Sakura shouted but was replied with his usual fake smile.

"Don't want to, don't care Ugly-san" and he disappeared to the guest room.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. "I swear sometimes I just want to rip his face off, that goddamn mother-"she cursed under her breath and began to wash the dishes and clean her apartment after her teammates.

Usually they were just as carefree as Sai just now. Naruto, Yamato, Kakashi and Sai often crashed in and had their way with her place… and food. They didn't care for being around naked or watching porn so freely at her living room.

After she finished tidying her place up she headed towards her bedroom to sleep.

"Get out Sai."

Sakura exhaled while being in bed and eyes never opened. Her bed shifted and she heard light footsteps followed by the shutting of the door then another door.

"What about me?" a cool calm voice was heard soft as a whisper.

"Yeah you too Kakashi-sensei" she sighed and shifted to her side not even bothering to open an eye.

She didn't need to open her eyes to know that Naruto was sleeping under her bed or Kakashi over her closet and Sai well… yeah just in her bed but now at the next room apparently, nah he's here alright and again at her bed. They probably had a mission outside Konoha for them to be all cramped up at her place, it was the only time they behaved like this.

"Yamato-sensei?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"Window" she heard Naruto say drowsily and only then did Sakura peeked over Sai out her window in which outside there was a small tree house.

"Hn" and with that they fell asleep.

* * *

By morning they were all gone and Sakura had her breakfast served with a note under the plate that read: "Eat up, now. –T7" probably Yamato whom wrote it. She chuckled and dug in.

Once done she hurried to the Hospital for a twelve long hour shift.

"Sakura!" A familiar voice thundered across the halls.

"Yes Tsunade-sama?" Sakura directed at her visibly tired from her shift.

"I need you to go as backup for Team 7's mission, there were complications due to some Akatsuki members appearance and they are in need of your medical skills" she explained.

"Hai, I will leave now" she bowed before disappearing. _I swear these guys are useless without me…_

* * *

Sakura dashed through the woods that surrounded Konohagakure for a half a day's time, it would take her at least half an hour more to be at the gathering place so she took a small break once she found a spring and rested her tired legs.

It was peaceful whenever there were no humane activity. This was when she let her mind drift out and once again she thought of Sasuke. _Where are you? What are you doing right now? Are you ok? Do you miss us? _A bunch of silly questions.

A faint rustle in a nearby bush made her snap and tense with a kunai in hand. A small baby rabbit hopped then jolted to a halt once it saw her, Sakura couldn't help but smile at it, the baby rabbit was over-cute with its twitching moist nose and large scared eyes. Once it detected no threat from the pinkette it cowardly hopped to the spring's shore and drank rapidly a few gulps of water before dashing and disappearing with a rather loud rustles through the bushes. She laughed and stood ready to continue on her way, the baby rabbit had smoothed her chest from worries and stress even if it was for just a few seconds, it felt great.

* * *

Once she arrived she was surprised to find no one. She scanned for any chakra signals and there were none, not even the faintest to ensure they've been here and left. _Weird…_

Sakura assumed it was a genjutsu and rapidly performed a release seal, but then again, nothing. There was just not a single sign of life anywhere. This had her frustrated and the only way to find out their whereabouts was through chakra signals but she had none unless…_Katsuyu._

"Summoning jutsu!" a cloud of smoke appeared and a small blue and white slug was present.

"Sakura-sama what services do you request?" a squeaky female voice was heard.

"Drop the formalities Katsuyu please" she laughed and sighed turning her attention full to the slug.

"I was sent by Tsunade-sama to assist my dork teammates and they're not here and I've scanned the place up and nothing, I can't pick up a single trail of chakra" Sakura gestured to her surroundings.

"It's like a black hole in here" _wait. Something is wrong… _"Katsuyu?" Sakura addressed.

"Yes Sakura-sama?" her sluggish eyes perked up.

"I can't sense your chakra either and you're standing just here" her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"It's strange too because I can't sense yours too Sakura-hime nor mine for the fact…"

The slug crawled over Sakura's leg and stilled for a moment and Sakura felt a small hum where the slug stood, as if trying to channel its chakra into her, then after a few seconds it stopped.

"Sakura-sama neither I can channel my chakra to you" Katsuyu said a bit embarrassed.

"What?" the pinkette asked confused.

"I can't channel my chakra and its odd, let me try something else…" Katsuyu crawled out and sighed a cloud of mist that covered the entire area.

Sakura silently observed the mist, it danced freely in the air, then thickened making it harder and harder to see. Sakura lifted a palm and couldn't see it even if she touched her nose with it.

"Something's wrong" squeaked Katsuyu.

"What is it?"

"It's not supposed to be this thick" she paused then continued "Sakura-sama we should walk out of the mist"

Sakura nodded though it was useless for all the mist concealed her but as she agreed she kneeled and extended her hand towards she last saw Katsuyu and as if on cue the slug crawled on her palm and tucked her over her collarbone.

"Turn around and keep going straight Sakura-sama"

Sakura obliged and for what it seemed to be an eternity they finally got out of the mist and were surprised with what they saw when they turned around.

"What…what is this?" Sakura whispered in awe.


	3. II

Sakura's eyes widened in both awe and confusion, what stood on front of her and Katsuyu, was a vast sphere in which the mist was kept at bay.

"Its odd Katsuyu-san, what's going on?" Sakura spoke to the slug over her shoulder.

"Sakura-sama it seems that the space where the mist is, its devoid of our common laws of chakra, it could also be a jutsu or a kekkei genkai that its unheard of" Katsuyu squeaked.

"Hmm there are many possibilities…. Can you dispel the mist?"

"Hai!"

And with that Sakura felt the slug's chakra spark indicating the dispel action but nothing happened.

"I can't my princess"

Sakura thought for a moment then stepped inside the shroud of mist.

"Try now"

And Katsuyu did and only then the mist evaporated.

"This is interesting" said Sakura. "Ill mark these trees, so we'll know the radius or if it moves"

With Sakura's photographic mind she remembered the exact size of the shroud and efficiently marked its radius within half an hour.

"Well…that's about it" she sighed as she swept beads of perspiration off her forehead, Katsuyu was asleep at her collarbone.

"Now for the dorks" she sighed.

As soon as Sakura said that she felt their chakra at once, very close, in fact right behind her and she quickly spun around to face them.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN YOU IDIOTS?!" she screamed at the top of her lungs causing Katsuyu jump out of her collarbone and stick to a nearby tree with a sloppy sound, clearly scared shitless.

"Ehehe~~ Sakura-chan take it easy" Said the idiot. Naruto. Spiky blonde hair and way too vibrant blue eyes and whiskers over his sharp cheeks.

"LIKE HELL I WILL!" She fumed getting closer, her feet stomping and cracking the earth with each step, Naruto and the rest of the squad backed away slowly. No one in their right mind can come across a pissed off Sakura, she was quite scary when she went on her fits.

"THERE'S THIS VAST SHROUD OF NOTHING AND I COULDN'T FIND YOU IDIOTS AND GUESS WHAT?! I ASSUMED THE WORST!" she breathed heavy due the screaming and darkly towered over her teammates grinding her teeth and you had to double take or else you thought fire surrounded her.

She had to admit that when she was marking the radius of the phenomenon she was thinking the worst of the worst that could've happened to them but if she were to do something she first must scan for information as quickly as possible to come with a strategy plan. She loved them like a second family, even if they were idiots most of the time. Kakashi was her teacher and father figure. Naruto was her brother and best friend. Sai was her punching bag and a bag of laughter. Yamato was Yamato with his spooky attitude but clearly had a place in her heart and if anything were to happen to them she knew she would blame herself for being weak. And she was tired of being weak, though she not knowing, she was far off from being weak as she grew up to be a handful and was actually a feared kunoichi in the nations.

"o-oi S-Sakura-chan are you a-alright" Naruto felt her inhuman iron grip on his clothes as she lifted him up from the ground with one hand as she clenched her free fist, ready to send him flying.

"you tell me right now what the hell is going on before you visit Jupiter once more" she whispered darkly and the others took cover behind anything large enough to hide them, not that it mattered for her strength would smash it with ease but they felt safer.

"w-well" Naruto stammered nervously and swallowed hard before continuing. "We…." He trailed off.

"WE?" she insinuated for him to continue, eyes glaring supernova.

"Don't…know" crickets chirped and Naruto left the earth.

Sakura's fist hissed from the blast while an admiring whistle sounded a bit far off.

"It's a record Ugly-san" came a faint shout from the east, Sai.

"Ugly who?" Sakura appeared behind Sai in a second despite the distance and she felt him tense and drain out of life while he turned around with his fake smile plastered over his face and then he ate dirt, or rather, was planted solid in the ground face first.

"Kakashi-sensei?" She asked sweetly with an innocent smile as she too appeared besides him seconds after.

A bead of sweat rolled at the back of his head and he paled out, his lone visible eye curved as he nervously smiled with his hands on his front as to calm down the raging kunoichi.

"Aa. Sakura-chan. It seems it's a giant ball of nothing caused by something, placed by someone in a certain time at a certain place" he chuckled nervously and sighed then gave up to the smiling pinkette. "Hit me up"

And she did. Hard. A trail of broken trees was left where her teacher crashed. Then it was the last of the group, Yamato.

Sakura stomped towards him, towering over his sweaty form as she neared, his being smelled like panic as he gagged for an explanation which he didn't have.

I-I" he began.

"Save it" and he swallowed before he landed hissing by Kakashi's side, devoid of life.

* * *

Sakura gathered all her beat up teammates and set up camp as the afternoon sun hid behind the forest.

"So let me guess; Akatsuki, which probably aren't around. And also that you don't need my medical attention as you said to Tsunade-sama" She stated as she bit onto a grilled fish and watched as his teammates mumbled painfully in unison with agreement.

"It's an object. We needed you, actually, and the only way was to state some emergency to get you here. Akatsuki appearance was good enough" croaked Kakashi, he lied face up with his arms and legs spread out and had an ice bag over his forehead.

"And it seems the object nullifies the chakra sensory within a radius and also negates certain jutsus, that's all the information I had from the mission scroll, but it's not quite certain, since it hasn't been studied" and he sighed, a frustrated one.

"So basically we are to retrieve the object and done?" Sakura swallowed some of her fish and turned to Yamato since Kakashi went out cold.

"Yes" Said Yamato while laying upside down in a wooden floor he made and ice bags rested over his back. "But that's the problem"

"Hmm?" Sakura raised a brow in questioning.

"The item is invisible, the size of a pea and needs perfect chakra control to be seen and touched, because it only reveals itself when there's no chakra on its premises"

Wheezed Naruto overhead that was tangled between the branches he'd probably fallen onto from Sakura's inhuman punch and seemed to not even care trying to come down or he couldn't. _Che take that._

"But how are we gonna take that object? What. Wait." _Perfect chakra control_. "Great"

"Stupid." Stated Sai still planted on the spot. Sakura felt everyone tense, except Sai but this time she decided to let it slip but her mind echoed revenge.

"Well, that's that" she sighed "let's get some rest and I'll think of something"

Everyone groaned in unison with agreement and Sakura took the watch of the night.

"Katsuyu?"

The small slug poofed before her.

"Where were you?"

"Hiding Sakura-sama"

"…."

"…."

"Sorry…"

* * *

After a few hours Sakura de-planted Sai for him to continue on watch and for her to catch some shuteye.

Sakura dreamt this night but it wasn't pleasant because she dreamt of him, Sasuke.

"Wait!"

She screamed anxiously as his figure slowly faded away, she reached out for him but all she saw was his back and he said nothing.

"Wait!"

Yet again but louder and still no response or movement but kept fading into darkness.

"Please…"

She silently begged as a lone tear slid down her porcelain cheek and her hand grabbed nothing, just a fist full of air, no Sasuke.

Her eyes opened slowly and she held a frown across her face, her emerald eyes fixed with Sai's onyx as she still laid on the ground tucked in her sleeping bag.

"Another one?" he asked.

"Another one" she echoed and rolled to her side before drifting off again.

Sai knew of Sakura's dreams, he was the only one who knew and she preferred it this way, Sai was one to keep quiet even though he didn't quite understand what she felt but rather than Naruto knowing and nag her for it while Kakashi and Yamato would persuade her that everything will be alright while not, she let only Sai know of her dreams for his quiet beak.

* * *

Hours later she woke up and readied herself, by that time Kakashi had the watch.

The team got ready in matter of minutes, except Naruto, who was still tangled and snoring quite loud.

"And he hasn't given us away with that snoring, thank god" Yamato mumbled while yawning.

Kakashi grabbed a pebble and threw it at Naruto, bull's eye between his golden eyebrows, succeeding in waking him up.

"Oooooowww" cried Naruto rubbing his forehead. "What's the big deal?!" he yapped while waving his fists into the air, wriggling in the branches until…

Snap.

"Shit."

THUD.

"It's a human tree" said Sai emotionlessly but smiling his fake one.

"Ha-ha very funny you pale goof" Naruto sneered at him while he stood up.

Everyone in the team chuckled at Naruto's clumsiness and packed up the camp onto the scrolls.

"Okay how do we do this?" Sakura asked between a big sigh "I know I'm a crucial 'item' for the mission but how exactly do I do it?"

"Hide your chakra completely" Kakashi explained monotone to a poker faced Sakura.

"I am doing it right now or else we would be found out?" she explained questioningly while raising her pink eyebrow.

"Yes and no but yes and no" Kakashi smiled behind his mask, his lone eye curved downward while doing so. "Technically you're doing it but not essentially for the task. You have to hide it to a point that not even you can sense it."

Sakura knew she could do it, she had a gift for the perfect chakra control but she was scared to do so and she didn't know why. But heck she was curious about herself.

"Let me concentrate then. I'd like to be alone now but keep on watch" she waved them off and disappeared through the forest.

* * *

Sakura meditated under a nearby waterfall for at least three hours until she finally managed to zero her chakra to nonexistent, it wasn't that hard though but she couldn't keep it for more than four minutes, she had way too much chakra stored at her diamond shaped seal over her forehead to keep it masked longer than that.

Happy with the results she just prayed it was more than enough time to seal the item onto a scroll before heading back to the village in a successful mission.

Her legs were numb and her butt cheeks hurt like hell, she could feel the hundreds of needles biting onto her legs as blood began to flow and she cursed under her breath, once out of the waterfall and onto the shore she dried herself to a decent state and headed back to her waiting team.

* * *

"Guys I have good news and bad news" she chuckled and sighed "which one you'd like to hear first?"

"I'm no fan of bad news Sakura-san" Yamato said while creeping out between the trees and everyone nodded agreeing with him, except Sai, he was oblivious.

"Well….I can do it" she said slowly and keeping eye contact with everyone. "But for the bad news; four minutes max" and she sat down on a large rock crossing her legs and arms.

"Damn" that was Kakashi and that succeeded in turning everyone's attention to him. "That's great news but yeah bad too because the radius is too large and the item is way too small and invisible, it's worse than looking for a needle in a haystack, but still let's give it a go"

Sakura nodded and commenced the mission.


	4. III

Twelve long days had passed before finally she found the pebble-sized object. It looked like a dark diamond and it varied in colors like an aurora if set upon light. Sakura wanted to crush it for consuming so much of her, she grumbled as she sealed it onto a special scroll and handed it to Pakkun; Kakashi's dog-friend summon in which he took said scroll on his jaw before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Well! It's done finally!" cheered Naruto way too loud with the widest of grins ever planted on his whiskered face. "We should totally hit the bathhouse on our way back!" his blue orbs shone with exciting vibrancy.

"definitely" Sakura laughed "we totally deser-" She couldn't even finish the sentence before her face met the rocky ground, she had collapsed from stress, controlling her massive chakra deposit took a lot of effort and that effort developed into stress when she had little to no progress plus the want of returning home drove it to the edge that it exploded like a time bomb with the sudden excitement.

"L-O-L" Spelled Sai with a poker face while Kakashi, Naruto and Yamato rushed towards her in attempt of helping her.

"Seriously teme?!" Barked Naruto but ignored since there was little to none of hope into talking sense to the emotionless Sai.

"Now now Naruto, she's just exhausted, this was to be expected and in fact I'm surprised she didn't collapsed sooner" came Yamato quietly by his and Sakura's side.

Yamato built a stretcher with his wood technique, it was better than carrying her over a shoulder and much more easy that way.

"we cannot stay for the night, with no medic we are at a disadvantage if we ever come across rogue nin, we've been here for too long and we're bound to be found out if not we already are" Kakashi stated calmly and took out his Icha Icha paradise latest novel and cackled wickedly as he took the lead, reading while so.

After a few hours they came across the bathhouse near Konoha's border, Sakura woke up a while ago, but she stayed seated at the stretcher threatening if either Naruto or Yamato complained for her to get off.

"And then you complain on being fat" Sai directed at her with his trademark smile.

"WHAT?!" Her blood and chakra boiled at his comment as she clenched her throbbing fist.

"You deaf ugly?"

Her eyebrow twitched and a vein sprouted by her temple. Naruto and Yamato were up ahead with Kakashi and left clones in their place to be safe from the sudden death Sai was bringing.

"I said that you complain on getting fat and look at yourself, you're being carried like a just killed boar, are you a boar?" he tilted his head and smiled.

"He. He. He." Sakura wanted blood, Sai's blood and she gestured him to come forward with her hand and he compelled.

"Hn?"

BOOM!

"There he goes" Yamato's clone sighed.

"Yeah" Naruto's nodded. "Now we have to look for him and bring him back"

"Probably a few hundred feet away"

"He can die for all I care" Sakura grumbled under her breath, she sat Indian style at the stretcher with her arms folded over her chest before she hopped out to enter the bathhouse once she and the clones arrived at its front door.

"Let's go" Said Yamato's clone.

"Yeah the idiot must be quite far"

And the clones left to look for the probably dead Sai.

* * *

"Hidan" A rough voice spoke quietly into the darkness.

"Aa. This is going to be fun, Kakuzu" Said man talked back to the darkness beside him. Normal human eyes and sensory wouldn't be able to detect the shadowed men that stood hidden between the forest's trees, or even skilled ninja for the fact.

"Indeed. I smell money"

Both shadows chuckled.

"She's a beauty though, I wouldn't mind sacrificing her to Jashin-sama, after I've raped her that is"

"_After_ I get my money" corrected his partner.

"Yeah yeah heh I'm gonna bang some pink bitch tonight" the man said while licking and smacking his lips joyfully.

Kakuzu and Hidan were partners in a deadly known organization called Akatsuki, despite the dislike between them, they were assigned for the dirty work and for money-collecting missions.

Hidan is a foul language immortal crazy nut whom worships a cult-like faith called Jashin as its god. Short pulled back silver hair and violet eyes adorn his handsome features, tall and muscled with a little bit of moral problems, the scythe is his weapon of choice and not to mention that he's sadistic and takes no pity for his victims for he makes sure that their deaths are as painful as possible. His partner Kakuzu on the other hand is a greedy man to the point he discards anything that doesn't leave gain for his high-profit goal, he's a monster that rips out the still beating hearts of his victims to elongate his lifespan and thus gaining immortality. Not to mention his violent temper that once triggered there's no salvation from death and his very appearance is disturbing, tan-skinned, well-built man that towers above anyone with his height and his glowing green irises has no pupil and the sclerae is blood red, his features were masked with a white hood and black mask letting visible only his tormenting eyes leaving you to imagine his true aspect in which you wished not to for the visible skin was stitched telling horror stories into your mind. The "Zombie Combo" as they are commonly known were now lurking in the shadows with a certain interest to the pink kunoichi that just happen to slid inside the bathhouse.

"Boobs!" Hidan squeaked.

"She's flat" said Kakuzu in a monotonous tone.

"Aa. Dammit!"

* * *

"Aaahh, this is life!" Cheered Sakura as she soaked herself onto the hot mineral water. It soothed the tangled muscles and opened her chakra ways as she relaxed. Her pale skin began to redden slightly with the water's moderate heat, her face was flushed and smoothed with relaxation. She curled her toes repeatedly and rotated her ankles to loosen the stress as she bathed her upper half. Her mounds were a decent size despite everyone calling her flat, thing is, she actually wrapped them tight in bandages to prevent unwanted movements if she were to engage in sudden battle, it gave her more control on her movements.

"Tch"

That single sound echoed through the room despite being outdoors, the source of it was to her mind wandering off to his former teammate Sasuke. She tired of thinking of him, she thought that by now her feelings for him would've changed but compared to then and now it was little to no change at all. Her heart still quivered and she still remembered every detail of his handsome features and it ached right in her chest.

As she continued to bathe she found herself more and more giving to her memories and she remembered all those happy moments with Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi. The mere thought made her smile and her mood lighten just slightly but as she recalled Sasuke it all but faded again.

Her moist lips were pressed onto a firm line almost a frown and her emerald eyes were sad at the corners as she stood up not caring to cover her body and she stepped out the women's side and into the men's.

* * *

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Naruto's laugh echoed through the bathhouse while he pointed out to Sai's swollen jaw.

"Ne ne Sai! Sakura-chan did a great deal on you right? Nehehehe" Naruto grinned tauntingly at Sai, which expression never faltered.

"She just landed one hit as always, I guess I'm not worth more than one" he stated as he neared Naruto in a creepy way.

"H-hey what're you doing?!" Naruto cowered to the edge of the bath and was pinned to it by the intrusion of Sai on his personal space, which he looked as if he was contemplating his manly weapon.

"What a curious baby dick you have, you're almost dickless"

Yamato's and Kakashi's small laugh was heard from the other side of the pool while Naruto proceeded to strangle Sai and cursing him.

"That Sai is hopeless right Kakashi-san?" asked Yamato as he slid down the hot water.

"Aa. He is" kakashi answered as he too sat, besides Yamato.

The two senseis continued to watch Naruto and Sai brawl savagely at the giant hot pool and sighed simultaneously before they captured with their eyes a female figure approaching the pool. Eyes squinted to adjust their vision and both gagged at the same time, meanwhile, Sai and Naruto still killed each other.

"Oi! Would you two idiots cut it out!"

Barked a very familiar female voice and that successfully stopped their stupid brawl and made their heads snap at the source of the voice, the mist was thick but as she approached with full female grace and came to a decent view, nosebleeds shots furiously from everyone except Sai whom had his mouth slightly opened and violently turned around.

"This is wrong Sakura-san" _huh? What happened to 'Ugly-san'?_

"Your damn head is wrong Sai" she retorted while she dipped herself at the pool and sad beside the two pale senseis and crossed her arms in annoyance.

She grunted at the sudden silence.

"WHAT?!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'WHAT' SAKURA-CHAN! Y-youre NAKED! A-and h-here! What the fuck is going on?!" Naruto squeaked at the end miserably fisting his hands on his wet hair while looking away and his face beet red.

Silence. No one dare to say a word.

Sakura clenched her jaw slightly and her pink eyebrow twitched. _It's just a body_. She thought. _Besides I've seen all of them naked and not care so I think it's only fair if they saw mine._

"I was alone" she whispered annoyingly.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEhhh?!" the blonde's eyes almost gauged out of its sockets. It sounded terribly wrong.

"NOT LIKE THAT DOPE!" and she power-smacked him in the face sending him flying and splashing at the end of the pool, all but winced for poor Naruto.

"I was alone, as in, alone. I was bored taking a bath by myself and you guys sounded like you were having fun with whatever you were doing" _and I wanted some company…_ she didn't said that out loud, didn't dare to. Truth is that she had a bad feeling in her gut that didn't let her relax quite well and whenever that feeling crept, it wasn't always good.

"And I'm sorry for barging in naked, che! It's not like you all haven't seen a woman? Besides I'm a doctor I'm used to this so be professional for once please? I just want to relax, can you guys do this for me?"

They have seem to relax a bit but still were doubtful of her actions, Sai turned around once he was sure Sakura was ok with it and decided to stupidly approach her and close his distance.

"Oi" she warned him. But as always he didn't capture it and leaned forward to her chest resting his chin on his folded fingers as if to study her mounds.

"This confirms that Ugly-san isn't that flat"

"Urk!" three different male voices echoed and braced themselves, cowering under their arms protectively but were surprised that nothing happened.

Slowly they peeked under their lashes to take in the situation.

Sai still was at the pool, and alive, and Sakura was looking at him with a blank expression.

Suddenly a low giggle escaped her lungs and everyone gasped, terrified.

Sai then smiled.

"Gotta hand it to you Sai. You clearly have a death wish…but not today" and she smiled.

Several sighs where heard.

"So yeah, now what?" that was Naruto.

He was growing uncomfortable each second and he glanced around the team and noticeably blushed when he caught Sakura with his sight.

"Well… do what you guys normally do… imagine I'm a boy or something"

"That ain't helping Sakura-chan"

She scoffed.

"Really? Then I guess I should leave… this was a bad idea after all"

She was about to stand up until Naruto stopped her.

"Waaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiittt!" his lungs almost burst.

Naruto held his arms out in front of Sakura as if pushing telekinetic powers to stop her at the spot, his eyes glued shut as his face was looking away from her, not to miss his neon red face.

"Just don't stand up! Okay okay! We'll be normal but please stay where you are, covered by the water!"

"Oh… ok"

And so the males continued their bath just as promised, like they normally would; joking, insulting, discussing and bonding.

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Oi…where's them damn flat boobs? Aint no one here!"

Hidan almost screamed.

"Would you shut up?"

Kakuzu barked at his silver haired partner.

"LIKE HELL! I came to see some pink haired pussy and a flat chest, not some freaking empty pool!"

His eyes burned onto Kakuzu's while he blindly pointed out at the pool.

"It aint empty you fucktard"

"W-what?! Of course it is! LOOK!"

Hidan pointed out again and he locked his eyes at the end of his pointing finger and saw someone afar right under it.

"OH. MY. GOD. JASHIN!" He said as he backed away horrified.

"Heh…baka" said Kakuzu as he disappeared in a wisp.

"I did NOT see that! Gyaaaah! Jashin-sama! Take my eyes as sacrifice!" Hidan tried to gauge his eyes off. What he saw was the opposite of what he was expecting; an old toothless lady with hairy legs and armpits and wrinkly uneven skin. He gagged dramatically as he recalled over and over again.

A feminine giggle snapped out Hidan in his attempt and made his head turn to its direction.

"Men's side? What the…"

To confirm his suspicion he neared the wooden wall that bordered the men's side of the bathhouse and peeked in between the boards ever so difficult for its narrow view but it was enough for him to confirm. There she was, a pink haired girl with porcelain skin, her back to him and a crowd of men acting like she wasn't even there or her for the matter like it was completely normal.

"Interesting" Kakuzu beat him to it once he appeared from whenever he went.

"Did you went to jerk off to the old hag?"

"Hardly you dick, I went to piss"

"U-huh…guh!"

Kakuzu grabbed Hidan by the throat and squeezed hard to choke him, if he wasn't immortal, he would've died on the spot.

"I. WENT. TO. PISS."

"G-ggot it-t" He gasped out when Kakuzu let go and he glared white-hot daggers to him, promising revenge.

"I'll fucking kill you bastard, once I find a way to, you motherfucker" He directed at his partner coughing precautious so they wouldn't be found out.

"Your mom's pussy was juicy and so was her ass and mouth" Kakuzu teased him.

"No one talks about my dear mama you shit!" he grabbed him by the collar and shook him furiously.

"They're out" he chuckled "and you missed those not so flat pink mounds" under his mask you could see the outline of a wicked grin and his pupil-less green eyes glint slightly in victory.

Hidan cursed and spat the floor letting go of his partner and then flipped him off as he made his way to conceal himself in the large trees.

"Baka" said Kakuzu as he too disappeared.


	5. IV

"Nee Sakura-chan you're a bit quiet, is something wrong?" Naruto questioned her with a dopey face and she sighed.

"I just have a feeling that something's gonna happen…something…bad" she admitted sheepishly.

"Don't worry! Nothing's gonna happen, believe it! We all got you!" and he flashed that big ear to ear grin and a thumbs up.

"I…I guess you're right" she smiled at him and grabbed his arm to lock herself on it "Let's go!" and she slightly quickened her pace dragging out his blonde teammate and everyone followed close behind making small talk.

"Sakura-chan"

"Hn?"

"I'll bring him back"

"…

Ok"

* * *

After a few hours they crossed the border and was now in the fire nation's territory the team noticed some unusual behavior around them.

No sound.

Not even from wild-life.

"Halt" came Kakashi's voice and palm up.

Everyone guarded up and looked about their surroundings.

"Kakashi-sensei" Sakura muttered.

"It's ok, stay calm"

She nodded and glanced around her teammates, fist clenching and itching to fight.

"Fufufufu took you guys long enough to notice"

It was Hidan, he stepped out of the shadows and landed just in front of them a few feet back.

"Akatsuki" Kakashi breathed.

"OI! What do you want?!" barked Naruto less than pleased. Rasengan ready and launching up to the silver haired individual.

"Seriously?" Hidan muttered as the rasengan connected into his torso, he stood his ground with little effort and as the wind jutsu evaporated he locked gaze with Naruto.

"You done fucker?" He almost burst out laughing at the blonde's shocked expression, but since he was used to it he bid no difference.

"Teme!" Naruto grind his teeth as he jumped back to his previous spot.

"Kakashi" Yamato called out as everyone stood surprised.

"Aa. I saw" He immediately revealed his Sharingan eye and charged his chidori, lunging at the Akatsuki.

"Heh… you guys are such idiots"

The chidori pierced in where his heard would've been and did little to no difference to Naruto's rasengan.

"I-Impossible" Kakashi said quietly.

"Tch." Hidan was annoyed, his robe was destroyed and now he had a hole in his chest with an arm through it, he held Kakashi's arm with one hand and with his free one he raised his scythe and swung downwards the ninja cutting him in half making the clone explode in a cloud of smoke.

Bare chested he stood tall with his scythe resting over his shoulders, the exposed wound formed an 'O' in the center of his chest where you could see through.

"I'll curse you first" he said coldly towards Kakashi and he disappeared.

!

Everyone tensed. Surprised at how he managed to disappear undetected.

"Damn it! Where is he?!" came Naruto furiously.

"Naruto stay calm" snapped Sakura.

Sai and Yamato held their breath and the sudden awkwardness filled the silent atmosphere.

Kakashi glared at his surroundings but nothing. _'Maybe he left…?'_

"**In the name of Lord Jashin, I curse you**."

A dark sadistic voice spoke behind him and he turned around wide eyed to the Akatsuki whom scythe was closing in to his face with unimaginable speed.

"Kakashi!" everyone shouted but it was too late.

* * *

He panted as he luckily back flipped away from the Silver haired man just in time for his head to stay on his shoulders. Kakashi's cheek burned. A small cut. He could afford that.

"That was close" Exhaled Sakura gladly with her hand over her chest.

"Hardly pink bitch" Came Hidan chuckling and everyone turned to him. He dipped his tongue over the tip of his scythe where a drop of blood hung and he savored it sadistically. In seconds his body became skeletal-like with dark almost black skin and he let out a sadistic uneven laugh.

"My pain shall be your pain, white hair!" he pointed out towards Kakashi with a needle like instrument. "Feel the pleasure Jashin-sama bestows!" and with that he stabbed the instrument on his shoulder.

"Guuuh!" grunted Kakashi covering his shoulder in the exact same place where the Akatsuki stabbed himself and fell in one knee.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura rushed to his side to inspect the wound and as she ripped his clothing, she found no wound.

"W-what?!" she said wide eyed and surprised "There's nothing!" and her eyes fixed on Hidan's instrument and narrowed her eyes calculating. It was the same spot as Kakashi's. Then she recalled what he said.

'_My pain shall be your pain, white hair!'_

Realization struck her. _'Damn it! What now?'_

The corner of her eyes caught Naruto charging up to the sadistic Akatsuki with a bigger rasengan than before and she gasped in terror.

"NO! NARUTO! STOOOOOOOP!" she ran towards Naruto whom looked back at her with shocked-wide eyes, he twisted in midair barely rasping the dark Akatsuki's cheek with the rasengan surrounding chakra and collided with a nearby giant tree bursting it into dust as it connected.

Kakashi hissed as he felt his cheek burn and he put his hands over it reflectively.

Yamato and Sai observed everything that just happened and both exchanged stares in understanding and immediately began to dig out for a strategy.

"It's not easy" came Sakura by their side with Kakashi whom was shaking in pain as Hidan was twisting the instrument deeper in his shoulder, reflecting it to Kakashi's own.

"What did that teme do to Kakashi-sensei!" poofed Naruto on front of them defensively.

"Don't worry about him Naruto, if my assumptions are correct he would just stay there and stab himself"

"But that gives us an advantage!"

"Actually no" Said Yamato.

Kakashi screamed and Sakura held him close as he fell.

"Why not?!"

"Because whatever you do to him it's reflected back at Kakashi-san, baby dick" came Sai coolly as he pointed out towards the writhing Kakashi.

Sakura and Yamato nodded in unison.

"But we can't just stand here and watch Kakashi like this"

Right there Kakashi let out an excruciating scream and everyone jerked their heads towards the Akatsuki and stiffened as they saw another figure by him, stabbing him by the stomach.

"Hell yeah!" cheered Hidan as more pain ran through his body when Kakuzu stabbed him.

"What took you so long asshole?!" Hidan yelled at Kakuzu still twisting the fine instrument on his shoulder. Muffled screams sounded faintly in the distance.

"Because it took _you_ too long to finish these rats"

"But fun's just started!"

"Hurry up and kill him and get rid of that pathetic curse, you reek in it, sadistic ass"

All were alarmed and they readied for battle except Sakura whom held her hand tightly with Kakashi's. She wanted to cry at his miserable pain and she nervously tried to come up with a plan but as she kept calculating it all came to Kakashi's death…unless.

"WAIT!" She screamed loud enough to freeze everyone.

"What do you want?!" she continued as she felt Kakashi relax on her. Probably because Hidan was caught off guard by her scream.

"What do you care bitch?" spat back Hidan and once again Kakashi stiffened.

She breathed fast as she was thinking.

"T-there must be something you want! As for you followed us here!"

In her mind she prayed for a miracle and her eyes stung with invisible tears, her mask almost breaking in panic.

"Please!" she begged.

"Sak-kura" came Kakashi grunting "D-don't" and she squeezed his arm slightly.

"I'll do any-" she almost cried.

"HIDAN!" yelled Kakuzu visibly annoyed. "That's enough! I'm tired of waiting for you, so I'm doing things my way"

"Heeeeeeeh?! WHAT?!" Hidan disappointedly took out the needle-like instrument and pointed out towards Kakuzu.

"Don't you know this is a holy ritual? Cheap bastard! You pay no respect to Jashin-sama you blasphemous imp, chocolate-skinned sewn up-hairy monkey!"

Cricket.

"Your damn fault for taking so long and you…" he pointed out to Sakura. "Get your skinny ass over here, you're coming with us"

"H-huh? What?!" she asked dumbstruck.

"Are you deaf? I said get over here. You asked why the hell we're here for and the answer is you, now move on before I get impatient and I deliver your dead body to our leader"

"She's to be alive asshole?" Hidan reminded him.

"And when do I care?"

"…..yeah"

Sakura could not believe what she just heard and she glanced around her teammates whom were watching at her and lastly to Kakashi at her arms.

"I-" she began but was soon cut off.

"LIKE HELL WE'LL GIVE SAKURA-CHAN THAT EASILY!" barked Naruto at the two Akatsuki.

"Naruto wait!" she grabbed Naruto's hand and stared at him with a blank expression.

"S-sakura-chan?" his eyes shocked and his lips parted.

"Only if that Sadistic ass releases Kakashi-sensei, ALIVE."

"Sakura! You don't know what you're saying!" Yamato tried to talk some sense into her.

"This isn't the right thing to do" Sai said seriously.

"Yes Sakura-chan! There's gotta be another way!" Naruto squeezed her hand for he wasn't about to let another one of his teammates disappear on him, not after Sasuke and definitely not Sakura. He had to find another way for sure.

"Ya'll done in there with your drama?" Hidan asked quite annoyed.

"Hidan. Release the white hair." Kakuzu ordered.

"ARE. YOU. SERIOUS."

"YES. I. AM."

Wide-eyed everyone landed their gaze at the one called Kakuzu then at Hidan who began to mumble curses under his breath as he made a series of weird worship-like signs.

Kakashi relaxed completely and breathed in large gulps of air and finally straighten up, Sakura let go of Naruto's hand to help Kakashi stand up.

"Now pink girl you coming?" asked Kakuzu.

_Was it this easy?_ She thought suspiciously. _Or are they planning something?_ She narrowed her eyes at her foes, not moving an inch towards them, expecting some kind of trap.

"If you take any longer, bitch, I will kill you all"

She pressed her lips as she clenched her jaw, her pink eyebrows narrowed and her jade eyes moisten slightly, all her body tensed and her fists clenched tight as she took a step forward towards the two Akatsuki members.

Rapidly everyone was on front of her defensively.

Kakashi's released so there's no worry now.

"Hn. As I thought" came Kakuzu quietly then he lowered his mask to reveal a wicked grin.


	6. V

Muffled voices were exchanging a small talk. All her body hurt. It happened so fast.

Kakuzu attacked them or so she thought. She wasn't sure.

Sakura hung on an exposed shoulder, her blurry vision caught traces of what it was an Akatsuki robe. _Hidan_. She thought as she recalled the other Akatsuki calling him out.

His chest rumbled whenever he talked, she couldn't make out what he was talking about for she had a head-splitting headache, and assumed he was exchanging with the other Akatsuki; Kakuzu.

They were moving, walking actually, slowly to wherever. Her head spun wildly and she saw small droplets of blood trailing behind Hidan's feet as he walked ever so slowly.

_It's…my blood… from my head's injury?_

She thought and she began to scan her body for more injuries and when she did, she was better off not knowing.

Tears prickled her dark jade eyes while she held a stoic expression and that's when she realized she was covered with an Akatsuki robe, probably Kakuzu's.

She was raped. She felt it and confirmed it with her medical aid. Sakura was a virgin and the discomfort she felt between her legs was foreign, swollen and abused.

Her tights were slippery, probably from her rapist load oozing out of her, she wanted to die right there.

She whimpered noticeably.

And both Akatsuki stopped abruptly.

Kakuzu was the one to continue first while Hidan stayed behind, smiling wickedly. Believe it or not, as cold as he was, he didn't favor the raping of a woman and he knew his partner well enough that he was waiting for her to wake up. To enjoy her screams. He headed to base first, they just happened to be at the steps, as he entered he glanced back at his partner whom was just setting her down brutally and slapped her when she tried to fight him off. He turned his head away when he ripped out the Akatsuki robe off her and downed himself on her naked body, perfect beautiful body. He somehow pitied her then and he mentally laughed at himself.

As he walked away from her scream-like wails and the disgusting grunts of Hidan, Itachi and Kisame walked past him and felt them stop soon after, assuming as they took in the sight of Hidan's little show. Kakuzu disappeared onto the base as silent as a shadow in the night leaving the poor girl suffering behind.

* * *

"Hell yeah bitch, that's some tight pussy you got there" he said as he finally slid off her while licking and smacking his lips.

He straighten his hair back with a sweep of his hand and stood up, not caring that his manhood was still erect as he walked past Itachi and Kisame, whom suddenly appeared.

"What?" Hidan glared at them and continued on his way, caring nothing of the girl he broke up just now.

Itachi, a handsome man with long dark hair and red eyes stood just a few feet away from the broken body of a petite naked girl.

His eyes took everything. Her shallow breathing, her trembling form and the sparks of uneven chakra signals, telling him how emotionally unstable she was. She was beautiful even as bruised up and beaten as she was. Her light pink hair was soiled with dirt, her jade eyes were wide open staring at the sky as tears ran down from her dirty face, her swollen rose lips were parted and quivering slightly suppressing painful sobs. He inwardly frowned at her state but his face showed no change from his stoic appearance.

Itachi let his red eyes travel farther down. Two mounds with pink peaks dusted in dirt were a beautiful sight, not too big but not too small and they bounced slightly with her broken breaths. Farther down. Her torso ever so flat and hourglass-shaped, very attractive and well built. Farther. Her hips full and in between a just shaved womanhood, abused by her rapist. He visibly glared and that caught the attention of his partner Kisame.

"Man… that Hidan's sick" rasped the shark-like humanoid.

"…."

He couldn't take his sight off her womanhood, blood and semen oozed from her entrance and just then he caught frighten shakes of her parted legs drawing together as to cover herself with what little will she had.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" roared a very familiar voice on his ears. Deidara.

Soft ticks followed him. Sasori.

"Who is she? And why is she naked…beat up…dirty…did she just get raped? Wait. Hidan?" continued asking the blonde Akatsuki.

"It appears so" a soft lulling voice answered, Sasori the red-head.

"what are you two standing there staring at her, yeah!" he mumbled some nonsense as he took off his robe and covered her and as soon as he touched her, she began to scream or whimper, it was too low for a scream. She tried to hit him but could barely lift her arms to do so.

"Hey hey hush, yeah" Deidara tried to calm her shaking body down. "Not laying a finger on you, un" he said as he took her face and forced her to meet his eyes.

Jade locked on Sapphire.

"…" The girl visibly relaxed.

_Interesting_. Thought Itachi. _Deidara actually pulled it off._

"That's right, no need to fear, yeah" said Deidara as he picked her up bridal-style and paled as he felt the fluids run down his arm, but made no comment, he didn't want the girl to feel worse than she's just now.

Kisame bit back a laugh and was rewarded with Deidara's glare.

"Whatever, let's go" he said towards his partner Itachi.

"…Hn."

And both Itachi and Kisame left the base, through the concealing genjutsu and out to the woods.

"Take her for a shower before presenting her to leader-sama" said the ever soft voice of Sasori.

"Yeah, un."

"Take one as well. You got Hidan on you"

"Don't remind me Sasori, yeah"

* * *

Sakura seemed to have lost her voice and feelings with her sudden shock.

Her blank expression was proof of that. She sat at an unknown bathtub and the water came just over her hips warmly.

Taking a bath or more like being bathed by a blonde long-haired stranger with blue eyes, she stared at the black tiled wall of the shower, while letting the stranger cleanse her.

She didn't feel embarrassed, she didn't feel fear or felt awkward. Nothing…she felt nothing.

He shampooed her hair with a unisex scent, being careful with the injuries, then he soaped the skin of her shoulders, back and arms. He hesitated when it came to her breasts but continued to bathe her, if it were in another situation his body would've reacted for her female grace was truly an art to his indigo eyes. Still he refrained out of respect and of her broken state.

Her head turned slightly to the side where his face was as she felt the stranger stop just over her pelvis and she locked her lifeless jade eyes with his sapphire orbs.

"Can you wash your….um…yeah your…" he couldn't finish the sentence but she knew what he meant. He bashfully looked away with buffed pink cheeks but she didn't answer him, she just returned her gaze back to the tiled wall.

The stranger squeezed lightly the cloth he was using to wash her making the soap foam drip slightly before he shyly began to lift one of her legs so he could better wash her 'thing'.

_Don't look. Don't look. Don't look_. He mentally repeated but his eyes betrayed him. _Fuck_.

His eyes widen and his mouth hung slightly when he took a glance at her intimate part. _Damn you Hidan…_

Her entrance was swollen and abused, a shade of an angry red almost blood like decorated her entrance, it looked painful and he panicked for once. He didn't want to hurt her any more than she was. He placed away the cloth and soaped his hand and lightly, without looking at her, began to cleanse her womanhood.

He didn't know if it hurt her because she made no response but also she didn't stop him and he continued. Deidara made sure she didn't get the wrong idea in the way he touched her, he wanted to let her know that it was for her hygiene purpose only. Once he finished washing her most private part he downed his unique mouthed hands along the length or her legs.

"Alright now let's get this soap off your upper body" he mumbled as he took one already filled bucket that sat by his side and dipped one finger to check its temperature.

"Hn. Still warm, alright here it goes"

He gently poured the warm water over her shampooed pink hair, the soap foam dissolved as it did, clearing her upper body too. He was careful not to get any soap on her eyes as he poured the water.

He took a dry cloth and dampen it so he could wash her face free of soap.

_What beautiful eyes… _He couldn't deny it.

_A delicate shade of peach…. _The color of her lips.

_Sharp and graceful…. _Her overall features.

_Rosette and innocent…_ Her short pink hair.

_Where did you came from? You must be an…angel? Un, she is… _He thought. He was aghast with her features. She was truly a masterpiece. He couldn't help but worship her beauty.

Deidara began to help her get up, she felt like a rag doll under his arms, lifeless and easy to manipulate.

"Come, let's get you dried up, un… can you walk?"

At that she tried to put weight under her legs and miserably flailed to the side but didn't fall over since Deidara hadn't left his hold on her.

"Alright don't push it"

Still holding her he reached for a towel and wrapped it around her and carried her out of the bathroom towards his bedroom and set her on his bed, resting her back on a mountain of pillows.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna see if I can get you some pair of clothing yeah"

He flashed her a smile, too handsome to say.

"We have a female at our organization, maybe she has some spares, un"

And with that he went over the door and stopped before exiting to have a last glance at her, who was surprisingly staring back at him.

"I… uh… don't worry Hidan can't come in here, yeah. If it makes you feel better ill have Sasori-san check up on you"

He caught her body relax, she truly feared Hidan and who wouldn't after what he did?

Deidara beamed her a last half smile and closed the door behind him and tapped his way to Sasori's door.

"It's me" he said at the closed door with no need to knock.

"Come in" lulled Sasori's voice.

Once in Deidara leaned over the wall and sighed.

"Sasori, it's about the girl, I bathed her and she's at my room right now and I'm going to ask Konan for some spare clothes…"

"And you want me to check up on her?" Sasori finished for him.

Deidara nodded. "Aa."

"Of course, I might as well patch her wounds while at it"

"Thanks…weirdo"

Both chuckled and Deidara left.

* * *

Soft ticks echoed throughout the room.

The pink girl sat rested over a pile of pillows that were propped at the bed.

Her wounds were open but to surprise they did not bleed.

The ticking continued as Sasori approached her with an aid kit.

Doll-like features, red hair and eyes stood quietly at the side of the bed.

She glimpsed at him with a blank expression then her gaze traveled to the kit and her face puzzled.

"I came to tend your wounds"

_Soft voice… _was the only thing she thought. His voice eased her and she felt like she could trust him.

Irresponsive she looked away.

Taking it as an 'Ok' sign Sasori began disinfecting and covering her wounds. It took him just a few minutes to fully tend her but she was pretty beat up.

"Your chakra ways are destroyed, it will take you a few days to heal completely, Hidan likes to focus on those"

He informed her as he cleaned up the area.

"You won't be able to manipulate chakra until it heals so I suggest you rest up until then"

"…."

"I'll bring you some food, Pink, you'll nee-"

"Sakura"

"Hn?"

"Haruno….Sakura" she said her name as faint as a whisper and her voice slightly croaked.

"Aa. Sakura it is"

She shifted her hip for comfort and glanced towards the doll.

"Sasori is my name and the blonde who bathed you is my partner, Deidara"

He gave a perfect curved smile towards her, he was gorgeous almost inhuman. _Maybe he isn't human…_

"It's always a pleasure Haruno-san despite the situation, sadly, but then again it has its purposes. I'll bring you food now"

He gracefully turned around and left the room.

She could still hear the soft ticks he made as he walked, she knew he made it on purpose as if to assure he was around, probably luring away Hidan. She stiffened and her hairs rose as she recalled that monster, even her stomach began to twist in disgust.

_How could he do this to me?_

_He took away my purity like it was nothing…_

_He destroyed me…_

Sakura's eyes began to sting and blur. The familiar feeling of tears began to weld up in her jade almond shaped eyes. She hated him and she hated herself for being weak.

_But he's a monster and on top of that sadistic and immortal. _What could she do?

_I don't even know if Naruto, Sai, Yamato or Kakashi are alive…_

She winced at the thought and began to panic but her face showed no change in expression.

_I need to shut myself_.

_I will shut myself_.


	7. VI

"They're over there" a feminine voice informed.

"Huh?" Deidara stood puzzled.

"The clothes, as you said, they're what you're here for right?" she smiled casually making her honey eyes curve.

"Oh yeah, un" he went over the side table where neatly folded clothes laid on top.

"I had them prepared for my last mission but I didn't need them" She answered before he could question of why they were there like that and not get any weird ideas in his head that she was expecting this to happen.

Still he eyed the short blue haired woman with a center lip piercing under her lower lip. An origami paper flower adorned her hair, bringing out the color of her hair with its white contrast.

_You should learn how to smile more and wear less eye-shadow, maybe then you could be more attractive, un… _thought Deidara.

Konan to him wasn't that attractive as to the other men thought differently. She was a beautiful woman, he didn't deny that but still he didn't feel attracted to her, not that it mattered to him because he wasn't looking for a relationship of any sort. It was just his opinion. He always found himself thinking over this stuff whenever she neared him and he hated that. He thought it was pathetic…and it was.

He took the clothes and thanked her.

"Is she…ok?" she asked uncertain and that stopped Deidara on his track.

"Yeah…actually no" he said while he thought deeply._ How could she?_

"Maybe I should talk to her… woman to woman. It will help her I think"

_Is she actually concerned? Or can she be concerned? Can she manage that?!_

"Aa. I guess you're right, wanna come with me?" he offered sheepishly.

"Hai"

* * *

Two figures entered the room; Deidara and Konan. They immediately had poker faces once they saw Sasori feeding the pink haired girl like she was a toddler.

"…"

"…"

Sasori turned his doll eyes to the two of them, which now hung their mouth open.

"Haruno-san can't lift her arms thanks to Hidan, thus she can't eat by herself" he began to explain.

_Aa. Right…I forgot._ Thought Deidara. _Haruno? Sounds like a last name…wait. Does this mean he got her name already?! _

"I'm only helping her because of it"

"O-ok" _damn I sounded stupid, yeah._

"Evening Konan-sama" Sasori directed at her while he gestured a small nod.

"Evening, Sasori-san" and she looked at the girl "Haruno-san" as she recalled.

The girl silently looked at her. Jade on Honey.

Sakura frowned visibly and made Konan for the first time question if this was a good idea.

"I thought you needed a friend"

With this her pink eyebrows raised slightly and her cheeks buffed a soft pink. Konan smiled and she took a bit of confidence and decided to walk up to her, sadly, when she was by Sakura's side her frown returned.

"Is she done eating?" Konan asked.

"Yes"

"Good, I want some alone time with her, Deidara you can leave the clothes"

"Aa. Here you go" he handed the clothes to Konan and didn't question further, no one could, she was the voice of their leader and her orders were absolute.

Once outside, Sasori and Deidara, he finally spoke up.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Deidara whispered as he had his head pressed over the door, he could hear soft exchanges but he couldn't make up the conversation.

"Girl stuff, who knows, you should give them privacy Deidara-san" Sasori sighed as how childish his partner was acting.

"I want to know, un!" _I want to hear her voice!_

Shaking his head he turned away. "You eventually will" and he left his partner trying to fuse with the door behind.

* * *

Days followed dull to Sakura, she could feel her chakra course through her body as it healed, she stretched and yawned silently once she woke up to this new monotonous day.

She slept at Deidara's room since the day she came here, at the floor, comfortably in a fluffy futon once she denied the bed to Deidara even if he told her he was ok with the futon. She felt safe with the blonde even if sometimes he would blow things up just for fun.

At the bathroom across Deidara's room she took a bath, washed her mouth and combed her hair. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and took in the dark circles under her eyes and her body showed bones where they weren't before and she didn't have that vibrant flushed color she used to have anymore. Not that she mattered now. _I look like Sai… _she winced.

Pale and gloomy she dressed in the same pair of clothes she wore every day since Konan gave it to her. The only time she had a conversation with her she had enjoyed it and she found to be missing her, they talked, or more like, she talked about things only girls would understand. Konan didn't question her or tried to get information out of her and she was thankful for that. Deidara often talked to her and joked around her and she would just nod, smile or frown. Sasori and she stayed quiet the time they spent together, though oddly, they understood each other. He somehow liked to feed her still.

She was afraid to speak for fear of the man named Hidan would be lured by her voice, as if speaking was calling out for him, the devil.

She pressed her lips tighter and tried to distract her mind away from him for fear she could summon him with the mere thought.

Sakura trotted on the now familiar hallways of the Akatsuki base to where the kitchen was. Every day was the same as usual, get up make breakfast, watch them train, hide from Hidan under the shadow of either Deidara or Sasori and look out for Konoha's ninjas trying to rescue her from her window whenever she had the chance.

_What happened to meeting the leader?_

At the kitchen Sakura froze to the spot and no one thought she could get any paler but she did. Across the long table sat an identical copy of…

_Sasuke…_

But in a much older version and had dark tear lines that accentuated his eyes and nose. His sharingan was activated and he glared.

_What an intense gaze._

"YOOOOOO PINKY GIRL!" the shark humanoid scared her, inwardly, she made no change in her expression to the eyes of both of them.

"Can you cook? Tell me you do please" he sounded ready to be disappointed.

"C'mon speak up! Itachi and I are starving!" he almost whined and he looked terrible like that for him to be a giant blue fish man with sharp teeth and an insane huge ass sword resting over his back, it didn't quite fit together.

_Itachi, so that's the famous Uchiha Itachi…Sasuke-kun's brother_.

She eyed the glaring Uchiha and she rivaled his stoic face with her own then she nodded to the shark not breaking away her stare from the I'm-gonna-kill-you-aura-spilling Uchiha.

"Great, now stop your fantasies over Itachi-san and get cooking! You better know how to make croquettes or I'll kill you where you stand Pinky"

_Fantasies? FANTASIES?! The only fantasy I have over that man is his ripped out eyeless head in my hand while I cry out in victory to the setting sun then I would swallow his sharingan eyes, over the pile of the dead bodies of the Akatsuki. _

Even if she was fond of some she still wished them dead since they were the ones behind the deaths of unaccountable innocent people for their own ambition. And that she was being protected from 'The Hidan'.

Curse his name. She didn't want to jinx her luck.

A pile of steaming croquettes sat in a large bowl at the table, it was enough to feed the entire Akatsuki but then came Kisame that this monstrous serving will only tickle his stomach and then he took a bite while Itachi eyed him. The reason was that Kisame could detect if the food contained poison or not and not be poisoned since he was immune thanks to some Sasori's little experiment, once Kisame gave the 'ok' sign he could begin to eat.

"….."

"….."

"….."

Between Sakura and Itachi the silence was deemed normal but when it came to Kisame, something wasn't right.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME PINKY?!" He roared and lifted her up by her way too thin waist and held her high over his head glaring at her thoroughly.

Her stoic expression turned harder with confusion and he began to shake her gently, imitating a strangle, he arms flopped by her sides with the shakiness. Sakura felt the air leave her lungs as she was suddenly downed on a steroid bear hug and she winced ever so low and bit his chest, telling him to drop her, which he never did noticed since she bit the robe unfortunately.

"YOU ARE ONE HECK OF A COOK!" He let go of her finally and turned his attention to the bowl.

"ITACHI THEY'RE A-OK!" Kisame gave Itachi a wide sharked grin with a thumbs up.

"Help yourself because I'm keeping the bowl"

"Hn."

Sakura sat at the floor, like usual, and downed some of the croquettes herself.

"Oi, sit at the table Pinky, it won't bite you"

"Sakura" and she said nothing more before turning around to face the wall and finish her food.

"That your name?" he muffled with a full mouth and she nodded.

"…."

"…."

The kitchen was silent except for Kisame's animalistic way of eating, chewing with his mouth open and burping like a pig.

_Ugh that's so disgusting shark-man, shut your mouth please…. Itachi how can you tolerate that? Ugh!_

Itachi could see girl's, no, Sakura's hairs stand to its tips and he suppressed the urge to smile. He knew its cause; Kisame's eating. He had already experienced it firsthand so he always carried earplugs in his weapon bag, no one actually saw him putting them on, but heck, he was one hell of a ninja.

He finally took a bite of the croquettes she cooked and he definitely agreed with Kisame, they tasted divine, since none of the Akatsuki were good cooks (not even Konan) he was forced to eat things that looked more like an aborted bat and that tasted like tar than something that's actually decent or edible.

Still he couldn't let go of his mind her earlier expression. She paled out as if she saw a ghost but she was actually looking at him and he sensed the mixed emotions before they died down seconds after.

_It must've been the massacre back at Konoha… she's from there and everybody knew, including her._

He glanced at her sitting form as she faced the wall, her hair made a curtain over her chewing cheeks, and he noted her bones more accentuated than before and he inwardly frowned. Her skin wore an ashy color and she had very dark circles under her eyes, he was about to question her (miraculously) before a voice thundered in the kitchen.

"Yo pink bitch! Guess who doesn't have Sasori and Deidara around today?"

Hidan. The name echoed in her head. Sakura forgot to breathe and trembling she stared at the wall facing her with wide jade eyes.

Itachi and Kisame caught the wild chakra sparks emitting from her like they've been stabbed by it as so did Hidan for his grin was getting bigger.

"Heh. That's right, it's you pinky!"

He walked towards her seated form with his violet eyes fixed on her, his surroundings, ignored.

Hidan caressed her short silky hair before violently fisted his hand and yanked her head back, forcing her to look at him but she stared at the ceiling instead with tired eyed and parted lips.

"Oi oi! Why don't you look at me bitch?"

"…."

Hidan got angry at her irresponsiveness and he tighten his grip on her hair and leaned over to her ear.

"**Look. At. Me. Bitch.**" He said with a murderous tone and Sakura pressed her lips to a tight line.

"That's it little bitch, turn those green slutty eyes to me" He said while savoring his small victory once the girl looked at his eyes.

Sakura looked at him but not at him. All she saw was the grinning face of Naruto while Sai, Kakashi and Yamato stood by the cheeky blonde and her eyes stung with tears that didn't show up.

_Guys…_

And there appeared Sasori and Deidara.

… _You two now huh?_

_Why did you leave me?_

_My head hurts. So does my slow freezing heart._

She visibly frowned and her face stoic once more. She didn't notice the change of Hidan's face from victorious to extremely pissed off.

* * *

Itachi took in the change of both the pinkette and the immortal chakra signals.

She from uneven sparks to no trace of chakra, as if she locked herself completely.

And Hidan… To the most murderous spark he'd ever encountered.

_Now you've done it silly girl. _Itachi mentally said.

* * *

Itachi and Kisame continued on their food as if Hidan wasn't there emotionally abusing the pinkette.

It wasn't their business and both weren't the kind to defend anybody without a good reason or without an order, although Kisame was having some trouble with that just because he needed her cooking skills, but bid no difference.

Itachi snapped his chopsticks with his clenching fist, it took all his might not to rip the silver haired man's head off as he brutally slammed the girl's head over the table making his last croquette slip off from between the sticks to the floor because of it, once the edge of the table slightly bumped on his elbow joint causing to lose his strength on the grip. He didn't budge a single movement nor did he stood up from the chair, Sakura's head was inches away from his stomach and his plate was shattered under the girl's face. Luckily his tea filled cup was unharmed.

Pain exploded and Sakura felt her cheekbone crack at the sheer force of contact between her face, a greasy porcelain plate and the solid wood table. The shards of the porcelain piece dug on her face muscles and bones and she could hear loud muffled screams from the man who was grinding her abused cheek over the shards.

"SCREAM BITCH! SCREAM AND BEG YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

She bid no expression, it did no difference and changed nothing.

Blood poured from her nose and broken cheek and pooled at the table's surface staining her hair red.

She saw a purple manicured hand with a red vermillion symbol grasp what it seemed to be a teacup that rested right on front of her nose and she slowly trailed the hand with her half hooded eyes as it lifted the cup towards the lips of the blurred Uchiha. His face was unreadable and his eyes were closed, he didn't open them even after he lowered the cup from his lips.

_How can you sit there and pretend to not be interrupted?_

_How can you not care?_

_How can you not help me?_

_Are you that heartless?_

_Are you even human?_

Many questions ran through her mind, none of these Akatsuki's action made sense, but then again they were not S-class criminals for helping old people cross the streets of do groceries for incapacitated people. They were S-class criminals for being cold, killers and rapists.

Sakura's blood pooled over the edge of the table just before were Itachi sat and a single drop collected threatening to fall over Itachi's robe, and when it was ready to fall a cloth appeared on top of the pooled blood, sucking the menace.

"**Oi keep it clean around Itachi-san**" came Kisame's angry voice.

No one soils his partner. Not around his watch.

"Don't worry fucking Shark. I'll make sure to finish inside her, heh"

The sound of clothing being ripped echoed in her ears, she still looked at the closed lids of the Uchiha, and there it was again, that sickening feeling, the painful invasion of her woman walls.

_Look at me. _[Closed eyes]

Painful thrusts, in and out, face grinding on porcelain dust.

_Monster. _[Closed eyes, tea on lips]

Nails dug on her hips and pounding invasion severed her cervix with sharp pain.

_You too are a monster. _[Closed eyes, no expression]

Muffled grunts and curses. Speed catching up and her walls sored.

_You three are just monsters. _[Closed eyes, long dark lashes]

Hard throbs and a long thrust. Spasms that shot warmth through her walls.

_LOOK AT ME! _[Closed, tea cup set at the tip of her nose]

"She's just as tight as ever, this bitch" Hidan purred with satisfaction while he slid off her and loosen his grip on her hair and let go.

He didn't care to cover his still throbbing erection.

"See Shark? No spills on the Uchiha hahahaha"

Hidan left the kitchen throwing his clothes around the hallway while complaining over sweaty heat.

Sakura laid bent over the table top still. Her view, blocked by the teacup, still were fixed to where Itachi's closed lids were. Stoic and bored expression over her features.

_MonstermonstermonstermonstermonsterMONSTER!_

She mentally cursed him, Itachi, and she couldn't get over it. Her mind replayed his actions over and over again while she screamed 'monster' at him.

"I'll take care of this" said Kisame as he began to clear the surviving pieces off the table.

Teacup gone.

Closed eyes.

_LOOK AT ME YOU MONSTER!_ Sakura screeched mentally. She didn't know why she wanted him to look at her but her mind screamed for his attention.

Maybe she felt the need to blame.

One last mental curse at him and his lids twitched. Sakura felt her knees tremble and giving out on her weight but she still looked at the slow opening Uchiha eyes.

Dark-red eyes with three tomoes bored over the falling girl and once she hit the floor the tomoes swirled slowly and then stopped abruptly into a pause before he stood up and walked away from her, a silent Kisame behind.

_I hate you._

_I…_

_Hate…_

_Yo..u…._

Darkness took her vision as she slowly passed out.

* * *

**Alright there you have it, my latest chapter, please remember to review.**

**I listened to this while I wrote the chapter:**

** watch?v=wGhfQhGFx4I**

**Please continue to support me!**

**-R1kuz.**


	8. VII

"Come on Sasori let's go, un!" said the blonde as he blew the corpse of his victim.

_Marvelous!_

"Aa. Haruno-san might be in danger" lulled Sasori as he walked on front of Deidara.

"Tch. Oi what's her name by the way?" he asked sheepishly and Sasori chuckled.

"Sakura, Haruno Sakura"

_Sakura… heh, it fits her, ironically. _

Rage consumed Deidara suddenly as his mind wandered towards the Immortal asshole.

_I swear if that bastard Hidan has laid one finger on her I'll C-0_. _UN!. _He thought angrily.

Though their mission didn't take long, since their target was spotted at the nearest village, every second away from the pinkette grew a gap for her unsafety.

_I don't get why we had to travel in pair for this useless mission, Sasori could've finished him off without showing up a hair. Target was drunk out of his ass and weak as hell, che!... un._

Both Akatsuki leaped over the tree tops at full speed towards their base and hopefully find Sakura unharmed.

_Though I made a mistake… knowing my partner was Sasori, he would eventually had to travel with me for missions leaving Sakura alone. _

_I should've gone with the Shark, he's easy. I could've given him my 'free food for a year' coupon I won while I kicked someone's butt at the clay festival back at Suna, yeah. _He shrugged as he recalled disguising as an old man with a fake mustache that ticked his nose, a mole that he always forgot where he wore it as it always fell off and an itchy beard way too long for his liking.

_Some S-class criminal I am, yeah…wearing a cheap disguise, heh, but heck civilians are easy to fool. And I lost a bet to Sasori so I couldn't use Henge or my mouths to mold the clay, yeah._

_Like that would kill my artistic blood, un! _

Two hours and they were at the base, and if on sync, both Sasori and Deidara walked past the hallways ignoring their surroundings and made a bee-line towards Deidara's room, where she usually hid.

"Haruno-san?" Sasori lulled.

Both stopped at the door, she was there, her chakra almost worn off but she lately gave those signs so they didn't overreact.

"Haruno-" the door creaked open with a wind's push "-san?" Sasori's lips pressed as he took her pale form once Deidara encouraged the door to fully open.

"…."

"…."

Deidara's body quivered with rage, his sapphire eyes fixed on her, and his nails dug at the skin under his hand's mouths as he clenched hard his fists that the color over his knuckles left.

She had her face buffed with small and large cuts and the atmosphere reeked of abuse. There was no denying she went through something painful. She had her collarbones exposed and the bones stuck up too noticeable and her skin was pale, too pale.

_Was she ever this skinny and pale?..._

Sasori on the other hand, impassive, but also angered with himself. He could've left behind a puppet to protect her. He silently turned and left. The opposite way from his room.

"H-hey…" Deidara stuttered trying to compose himself from anger.

He neared her frail body on the ground, sheepishly covered under the futon.

She was unconscious and she looked somewhat peaceful.

Deidara's eyes only saw her 'good' side of her face as he kneeled by her side.

"I-I'm sorry, yeah, me and Sasori…"

He glared at the polished wooden floor.

She remained irresponsive.

"We shouldn't have left you alone, un, and we're sorry for that"

He looked at her with sad eyes and a frown and reached to brush away her dirty hair from her face.

"So wake up, yeah"

He turned her head gently so she could face him and his fingers felt sticky but he didn't had time to observe once her full face came to his view and his eyes grew in shock. It was worse than both of them had thought.

Drying blood. To the source of his sticky fingers.

_FUCKING BASTARD!_

His wide eyes never blinked and he took every detail while surprisingly not blowing out in the spot.

Her cheekbone was swollen and varied in shades of purple and red, but that wasn't what took him off guard, it was the all too familiar stitches that sealed her uneven wounds.

He stood up with a stoic face and a murderous aura.

Someone's gonna bleed.

* * *

"Hidan"

"WHAT?!" came his roaring voice from behind the door.

"Open." It was an order.

"FUCK OFF SASORI IM SLEEPING"

BOOM!

The door flew off from its hinges and crashed to the side of the room in several pieces. Sasori stood at the middle of the room with a stoic face.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Hidan stood naked from his bed and a naked woman shrieked from under the sheets, cowering she leaped off the bed and grabbed her things.

"I wasn't asking your permission to open the door" Sasori's voice was soft but it held a menacing tone towards the silver haired man.

The woman, barely covering herself, ran towards the opening to where the door was past Sasori, but she barely escaped with her head.

Thump.

Flop.

The sound of a lifeless beheaded body filled the room.

"SASORI!" Hidan yelled frustrated. "SHE WAS MY FAVORITE! FUCKING DOUCHE!"

"Who are you to do as you please with Haruno-san?" Sasori totally ignored Hidan as he raged.

He didn't give a damn about the whore he just killed, he was pissed, and it was a danger when Sasori was like that, since he never was one to get angry, no one knew how he would react when he actually was.

"Eh? Who the fuck is that?"

"…."

Sasori stared at Hidan.

"G-guh!"

A gush of blood splattered just by Sasori's feet as Hidan kneeled over coughing out more blood.

"Remember that I know how to kill you Hidan."

Sasori knew as he once 'belonged' to the Jashinists, only they knew the weakness of the curse and it took only one man to kill them all, or 'sacrifice' them; Hidan. He wanted to be the only one serving the Jashin god because he deemed the others weak. Sasori had only pretended to be a Jashinist to suck information about this sadistic cult for his own gain and Hidan unknowingly helped him to erase them by killing the cursed members.

"C-curse you!"

"You can't."

A fact. Sasori wasn't human he was a puppet, therefore, no blood.

No blood, no curse.

"Now, answer."

"What do you care, puppet?"

And again more blood.

Sasori didn't give him the pleasure of pain because it was futile since Jashinists hunger for pain. He just tortured him by reminding he could die by his hand and that he couldn't curse him.

"**Answer**." His voice darkened with murderous intent while he looked down at Hidan. Eyes fixed on prey.

"**She's mine.**" He possessively stated while he glared up at the doll.

With that he neared the kneeled Hidan.

"Next time you lay eyes on her, you die, _**little Hidan**_**.**" Sasori spat venom at the end making Hidan know he truly meant it.

Sasori's eyes took in the glaring violet. He bid no care.

"Clean that body or ill add you to my collection" He signaled to the beheaded whore.

And he was there no more, the room was empty with no sign of the doll being there in the first place. The door gave him away though.

"Che. As if I'm gonna listen to a puppet…"

Hidan grinned darkly.

_The pink bitch. _

* * *

"What do you want Deidara?" Asked Kakuzu annoyed to the over-murderous blonde.

"Her face is stitched, doesn't that sound weird?" He shook in rage but stood glaring poisonous daggers at Kakuzu.

"Hn. I knew you would come and bitch about it, Barbie"

"You better have a good explanation, monkey, cuz I'm about to blow up" [ ]

Cliché

"Heh. Go C-0 on Hidan, Barbie. She's stable thanks to me"

"…."

"That's right now fuck off"

Deidara stared at Kakuzu as if he just told a joke and the murderous aura died down noticeably.

"Why?"

Kakuzu sighed in a pissed off way.

"Listen up, Barbie, just because that sadistic animal is my partner and we get along well in battle doesn't mean that I would agree and back him up in certain decisions. He likes to rape women, everyone knows that, but I don't favor that and I don't meddle in his affairs. The Pink girl-"

"-Sakura, her name is Sakura"

"Hn. Very well,_ Sakura_, just happened to be his favorite thing now"

"She's not a thing Kakuzu"

"To Hidan she is"

"How did this happen?"

"Heh. Beats me, I just happen to walk into the kitchen and she was there lying on the floor half naked oozing out Hidan by her legs with a huge gap on her face and blood allover"

"What?"

"Once you don't C-0, I will continue. I can feel you thinking about it…"

"Fine."

_Hn. I was actually right… _thought Kakuzu.

"So I picked her up and tended her wounds and put her in your room, I don't think she fought back this time, Hidan was in a bad mood"

"I'm gonna kill him"

"There's no need Deidara-san"

Both Kakuzu and Deidara turned their heads toward Sasori that was walking over to them.

"I've already placed the ultimatum"

"Huh? So that's where you went"

He received a nod from Sasori.

"Haruno-san?"

"She'll live" Said Kakuzu. "Wasn't that serious, but she better get some color and fatten up because that will kill her, not Hidan"

"…."

"…."

"Now fuck off"

And they turned around in sync and left.

* * *

"But you feed her right?"

"Every time"

"But why she looks so unhealthy, un? Is she sick?"

"No"

"Then what?"

"Humans are complicated beings and they strive for certain things to survive, other than food alone"

"What?!"

Sasori sighed and shook his head.

"I'm telling you that humans don't live off from food and water only, they must have ties, feelings, atmosphere, comfort and freedom"

"What you're saying is….?"

_That you're stupid._

"What I'm saying is that Haruno-san maybe eating and all but her body isn't responding like it should to the nutrients, therefore her problem must be emotional. Fear can turn into stress and stress can break the proper work of her system, yap yap yap yap yap"

Sasori went on explaining to Deidara who stood dumbstruck staring at the red-head.

"Sasori…what the hell are you saying? Un, Are you even listening to yourself? "

BUNK!

"Ooooooooooooowwwaaaaaa!" Deidara shielded his nose as pain shot through, the force of Sasori's punch loosen his balance and he fell backwards butt first.

"You should see yourself Deidara. Sometimes I think you're too stupid to be my partner, but then again only a fool could be stupid enough to come across me, and you fit perfectly"

"Yeah but you didn't had to punch me, un!"

"I felt like it"

"…Oi! I'm not stupid!"

"Tardy reaction"

"Whatever smart mouth, what do we do yeah?"

"I don't like the 'we' Deidara"

"But you're already in this!"

_I should just poison him and make him a puppet…_

"Fine. Let's just try by making her human again, get her to talk, to defend herself, to trust, things like that"

"Sounds kinda scary, un"

"You're giving up?"

"LIKE HELL! If Konan could make her talk, I could make her sing! Yeah!"

"…"

* * *

Itachi then again couldn't take the girl off his mind. The earlier event made him thirsty for Hidan's blood.

He thank god he wore his earplugs so he didn't hear the disgusting Hidan having his way with Sakura, all he needed was to close his eyes. Even so he could feel her gaze burning at him.

He didn't know what he felt at the time other than anger, there was this feeling he couldn't shake off and he just wanted it to end, to Hidan to end.

These sudden feelings made him feel weak and he wasn't about to let that happen, to be weak.

Once he felt Hidan finish and walk away after long minutes, then, he let his eyes slowly open but he didn't saw what he was expecting.

He expected her to be crying and cowering but instead she had the most intense stare directed at him even as she fell towards the floor, it felt like she wanted to murder him and his eyes reacted to threat by spinning slowly its tomoes, but he stopped the reflex because she laid like a lifeless doll on the floor.

Her eyes pierced him with whatever she was feeling. It unease him because he didn't understand and it was making him sick. She caught him off guard with that gaze, for a moment, he thought he felt fear.

The only thing he could do was turn away from her and leave.

"Ne Itachi-san should we get a piece of Hidan?" Kisame snapped him to reality.

"Hn." He would love to get some, yes. "Soon."

"Heh and here I thought you'd never agree, or bother answering"

"…"

_Asshole_. Kisame couldn't help it. _Sometimes your silent treaty just gets to my blue hairy balls…_

Bump.

"Huh?"

Kisame bumped Itachi's shoulder as he was lost in his shark mind, he looked at his partner which was looking fixed towards west and he followed his line of vision, he wanted to know what captured his attention.

Sharp teeth grinned.

"Well, well little Konoha-nin"

Itachi turned and dismissed the interest.

"Kisame. Let's go, target's this way"

"Heh. Yeah. They've already fallen in the genjutsu, too bad, I wanted to play with them."

And he laughed out loud suddenly, he kneeled over holding his sides, exaggerating.

"This is hilarious Itachi! We should stay a while. They're running in circles chasing a rat thinking it's you. They'll never get to base."

A fact. The genjutsu worked to lure away ninjas, it was powerful enough to even fool top ninjas, and it had no dispel since it worked on a totally different basis. It needed no chakra.

"Hn. Come"

"Alright jeez…_humorless Uchiha_" he mumbled the end under his breath.

"Hn?"

"Fried potatoes."

"…"

"…"

* * *

Sakura woke up to a throbbing pain over her cheek, she winced softly as she straighten up and took her surroundings. She placed a hand over her affected area and trailed what it seemed to be stitches, she frowned when she felt a very familiar presence.

"Yo, un"

She laid her eyes over Deidara, he sat Indian-style besides the futon. He frowned then looked down.

"Y-yeah… It's our fault, un"

She shook her head sideways and kept her gaze upon him as she lowered her hand to her lap.

"I can't ask you to forgive us, yeah. We have no right"

She looked at him wordlessly.

Deidara furrowed his eyebrows in frustration.

"You know? It wouldn't hurt to speak, yeah" he said looking away.

She frowned again and began to stand up, naked to his wide eyes.

_FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK! Stay calm just stay calm Barbie…what the fuck?! What am I saying god! GOD! Okay okay, stay cool just stay. Cool. _

He battled for composure in his mind while Sakura bored towards the bathroom.

"Need something I can get, yeah?"

"….."

"…" _come on speak. Speeeeeaaak! _He mentally pleaded.

"Clothes" it stung her wound as she let out that word.

_Damn it! _

_Wait._

_SHE SPOKE!_

_TO ME._

"I…I uh y-yeah, yeah! Alriiight!"

_Gosh I sound stupid._

Deidara beamed her a smile, he looked like a little kid and Sakura slightly curved her lips at him.

"….." _W-what?_ His mouth hung slightly in awe and his heart skipped a beat, her curved lips were plump to the gesture and it rose slightly her small cheeks, and her eyes curved, softening her features. He knew it hurt her, he could see her dark circles tremble slightly.

_Did...did she just…smile?_

_She's angelical… a sad angel… _he inwardly frowned.

"I'll…get…clothes" he said after he noted the awkward silence and moment because she stood a couple of feet away from him completely naked.

Her expression returned to the usual blank. He smile just lasted a second and went out in a bang. [xD]

_Artistic._

"Oh right uh… yeah… here, un" he threw her what it seemed to be a ball of clay.

She cupped her hands over her tummy and the ball landed perfectly in her cage, she looked puzzled at the ball then lifted her gaze over to Deidara.

"Watch" He hand signed. "un!"

The little ball began to move and uncurled itself to reveal a small clay lynx and began to outgrow her hands, she placed it at the floor until it reached a fair height of a normal cat.

"It's a gift, un! Don't worry it won't blow up, heh. It'll protect you and you're free to name it"

_There it is again! Her smile…_

"Clothes" and he disappeared in a blast. [xD]

_Silly guy. _

* * *

"Sakura?"

Deidara shyly crept inside his room and he heard the shower running and saw steam swirl out from the slightly opened bathroom door.

Shutting the door behind him he headed towards her futon and placed a bag of clothes he just bought since he didn't want to bother Konan for more.

They were normal ninja wear, all black because they were out of blues and reds, some pairs of plain panties and sport bras since he didn't know her actual size.

_Should be enough…_ he thought and creeped at the bathroom door and peeked his head in.

"Yo I got you some clothes, not the fashion type but better than any at all, yeah"

_Holy shhh….! _His eyes widen and his mouth dropped.

Sakura stood at the shower with an arm draped over her breasts and she had the curtain drawn out completely, not that he hadn't seen her naked body already but still, she was a woman.

It appeared she was about to step out when he peeked in.

He didn't even notice that the shower had died out seconds before.

The lynx growled low in its throat, it sat all this time over the lid of the toilet.

"I'm stupid, period"

_How the heck I'm gonna get her to open up if I keep doing stupid things like this?_

Sakura tried to keep her mask on but the look on the blonde was priceless and she opened up a little bit just because he was nice to her and didn't creepy crawl.

He slept in the same room as her and never once he approached her in the wrong way.

He helped her out when she was left at the steps like a stepped over roach. While the others just stared at her. He gifted her the lynx to protect her and sent Sasori to check up on her every now and then. He joked around her and always talked to her like a normal person. She didn't feel like a prisoner once he was around.

_He worries…_

Sakura tilted her head once as the bathroom door suddenly slammed, probably because he was embarrassed.

"SERIOUSLY?!"

His muffled cry was heard from behind the door and the doorknob shook in attempt to open the door.

"DAMNIT! I LOCKED IT!"

Sakura didn't understand why Deidara was acting so weird and that's when she took a sight of blonde hair pinched in between the door and frame.

Her mask cracked.

And she laughed creepily at first then it began to grow in tune. Luckily, she secretly treated her wound with healing chakra so it wouldn't sting her and bother her throughout the day. She was happy to be a medic-nin, it had its advantages.

"O-oi! You okay there?!" He couldn't make out the sounds quite right because the door shut half of the noise but it sounded to him like a creepy pedophile laugh.

And he pulled his hair hard.

"Sakura! Hey is everything alright?! Is someone there with you?!"

He pulled again, harder.

"FUCK! My damn hair! Unnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

And then he heard it loud and clear.

Soft chimes that turned into desperate giggles. He stopped pulling and he smiled closing his eyes to enhance his hearing and he pressed his ear over the surface of the door.

_Beautiful…_

The lock clicked and the door traveled back releasing his long blonde locks.

He sighed delighted to have been freed and he looked at her a bit embarrassed.

"Sigva" she suddenly said.

"Huh?" he stood puzzled as he rubbed his head to ease the pain.

"His name-" she pointed out to the lynx that now sat beside her foot "-is Sigva"

"Aa. Yeah…it's a pretty cool name, un. It fits"

"…"

"…"

Awkward silence.

_God she's still naked!_

"I'll leave so you can dress" he almost squeaked.

She nodded.

* * *

Sometime after Sakura sat at the porch, her legs hung at the edge and Sigva took a nap at her lap.

She heard soft ticks approach her and stopped just a few feet back.

"Haruno-san would you like to eat?" Said the doll.

Deidara told Sasori about her wound, he expected the blonde to be exaggerating but he wasn't, and the fact it had some medical aid didn't escape his keen eyes.

_Medic-nin huh?..._

Sakura looked back over her shoulder and nodded once and began to cradle the lynx to stand up.

"You can eat here if you please"

Sakura placed the lynx back at her lap and slid herself back tucking her legs Indian-style.

"…." [What's for today Sasori?]

"…." [The usual, sadly]

She frowned and he uncovered the bento, then sat Indian-style on front of her, his knees touching her knees.

He lifted some nasty looking dumpling to her mouth and she took a bite, her face twisted and she almost gagged but she chewed slowly and swallowed.

Both were accustomed to this, since Sasori kind of stuck with feeding her and she didn't complain.

"…." [This stuff tastes horrible you know?]

"…." [Wish I could confirm it, but, I have no taste buds]

Another bite and she choked in disgust she couldn't down another bite of that disgusting food.

"…." [More?]

She shook her head and crossed her index fingers.

"….." [Hell no]

"…." [Water?]

She nodded and sighed looking away to the view afar the porch.

"Here"

Sasori handed her some room temperature water, she looked back at him and kind of smiled at him as she took the porcelain cup, she sipped and relished once the water washed away the disgusting taste.

"…" [Sasori?]

He sighed and she narrowed her eyes.

"…." [Something wrong?]

"No more silent talk Sakura-san" Sasori said seriously, his gaze fixed on her.

She looked at the wooden floor frowning past the sleeping lynx.

"…." [But we understand each other like this just fine]

"Yes, but I think it's enough"

She lifted her eyes at him questionably.

"…" [Why?]

"And you ask me that?" he sounded kinda frustrated and she lowered her eyes again.

"You were once a feared kunoichi, what happened to her?"

"…."

"What would that kunoichi say if she saw you like this?"

Her brows grew closer and her fists clenched.

"…."

"What would she say Sakura-san?"

_You're pathetic. _She thought sadly.

"Exactly"

Sasori stood up and walked away from her seated form as he was done with his little quality time with her.

_Will you wake up now?_

* * *

**Alright.**

**I'****m trying to further develop the story and try to make Sakura less irresponsive but still keeping her stoic.**

**There's not much fun in this chapter but I'm sure there will be in the next chapters!**

**I couldn't help but put some "BANG" in Deidara involved sentences xD!**

**C-0 its Deidara's ultimate Kinjutsu by the way~ It's the one that turns himself into a bomb and blows up at the cost of his own life.**


	9. VIII

**Sorry for the long wait! -bows like a million times-**

**I just went in depression and a small block since I still mourn my father and each night I find myself crying over the loss and stuff like that...**

**Plus work and taking care of my year old son !**

**This chapter is raw. I didn't edit it or anything so if you find some spelling errors I am soooo sorry xD!**

**This chapter isn't fun but it'll be soon for the story!**

* * *

Sasori…_ it's not easy._

_I was once a proud kunoichi when I had my team with me… with them I was invincible._

_Kakashi, Yamato, Sai and Naruto are my pride and strength and with them…g-gone…_

Chocked sobs escaped her lungs and dry tears stung her eyes. They were low and unnoticeable. A lonely cry.

She didn't know if her friends were alive or not and it hurt her in the center of her chest, just where her heart was. She wanted to scream and curse and let her heart melt away in tears.

It left an unfillable gap in her heart, she often wondered about them and back home in Konoha, she missed her parents and her friend Ino. Tsunade and the long crazy shifts at the hospital and even ramen. Training with her team, she missed that the most, the unique way of bonding was through training and she longed for those times.

She loved them so much and yet she still hoped for them to appear and tell her it's alright and that everything's fine.

_Have they sent scouts to look for me?_

Her frown couldn't get any deeper.

It's been almost a month and still no sign of a single Konoha nin. Thought it's to be expected. They're Akatsuki, they know how to hide or else they would've been found out years ago. The toll on these missing nins are high and they are often hunt down and like always; no success.

She didn't even know why she was here for. The first time she came here she heard something about being presented to their leader and that statement turned into smoke.

She also knew that Konan was the right hand of their leader but at the time she had a conversation with her she just did some girl-talk, never once mentioning anything about why she was kept here. It was all too weird.

* * *

It was midnight with a full moon and strong breeze and she couldn't sleep. In the back of her mind she yearned for freedom and fresh air and she crawled out of her cozy futon determined to get it.

Deidara woke up instantly but he didn't move or even open his eyes while in bed and Sakura knew he was awake. His chakra shot up like an end of the year fireworks.

_Silly blonde…_

She stepped into his bed, making sure not to step on him like last time, and opened the window that rested by the bed and leaped out.

She was tired of being indoors of that godforsaken place, luckily Hidan had stopped stalking her for some reason and since then she often wandered outside and visited the wildlife near the base. It was pretty beautiful, it had gardens of exotic flowers and ponds filled with koi fish, trout and turtles and singing birds chirped in the morning unaware of the danger it lurked within the area; Akatsuki.

Sigva, at the absence of his master, woke up just as his feline eyes caught her jumping out of the window. He yawned and stretched in the futon before leaping onto Deidara's bed, his face, then out the window.

"Damn lynx! Un! It's because of me you're alive, THANK YOU!" he yelled out before mumbling and falling back asleep after he laid a drowsy eye over Sakura whom jumped out and was now disappearing in the thick woods.

* * *

Sakura took in a deep breath of cool crisp air and she smiled while imagining soaring through the midnight clouds.

The air was cool to her skin and she welcomed it pleasingly and she shivered but sighed in relief after.

_I want to go home… but I'd be crazy if I even tried to…_

She went deep into the woods where she found out a lake last time she wandered around the premises of the genjutsu, since she didn't bother to escape she was allowed a free leash as long as she stayed inside the genjutsu shroud.

It didn't take a genius to determine the cost for trying to escape, they were Akatsuki, and they also knew how to punish. There were pretty creative ways to punish those who wrong them and she didn't want to find out, she was out numbered for one and they had Hidan for two and for three if she ever escaped the shroud where would she go? She didn't even know where to head after, making it a ridiculous attempt that would gain her a hellish nightmare.

The moon hung high and it shone with full grace, it reflected beautifully over the still plate of the lake, she neared the shore and glanced down at her reflection.

Skeletal.

Pale.

Unrecognizable.

No longer the proud kunoichi she used to be.

She frowned and lifted her hands to her view. They were long and graceful but way to skinny and looked breakable. She followed up to her arms and she took in the way too skinny body of hers, she touched her now scarred face, still with stitches, she touched her neck, her shoulders, her ribs, waist, hips and lastly she looked at her gaping legs.

_What's wrong with me?_

Her face hardened and she clenched her fists.

_This isn't right…_

Tik tik tik tik tik.

Soft ticking sounds stopped just behind her and she turned around.

"…." [Sasori]

"Don't" his expression blank.

"…." [I don't want to speak with you then]

"You're being childish Haruno-san"

_CHILDISH?! Who does he think he is?! _She glared at him.

"I'm not being childish" she stated.

"You are"

She shook her head. "No."

"Is that so?" Sasori challenged.

"Of course not! I mean how the heck would _you_ react if this whole situation were to happen to you?!"

Her voice began to raise and she stepped towards the red-head.

_I hit a switch…_ Thought Sasori triumphantly.

"Do you know how hard it's been for me being here? DO YOU?! NO!" her voice shook with anger.

_Let it out._

She grabbed the unmoving Akatsuki by the collar of his robe.

…_easy…_

"DO YOU ALL EXPECT ME TO BE OKAY WITH ALL OF THIS?! AND PRETEND THAT MOTHERFUCKING HIDAN-DEVIL DIDN'T DO SHIT TO ME AND BE LIKE MY USUAL SELF WHEN HE BROKE ME UP WORSE THAN GOD KNOWS WHAT!"

She felt tears sting and began to blur her vision so that Sasori was disoriented in her eyes.

…

"DO YOU WANT ME TO BE OKAY WITH THAT UCHIHA AND SHARK PRETENDING THAT THAT MONSTER WASN'T RAPING ME IN FORNT OF THEIR NOSES AT THE KITCHEN AND DOING SHIT TO HELP ME?! HE BROKE MY FACE AND PRIDE, HE BROKE MY WILL AND STRENGTH, HE TOOK MY PURITY AND FRIENDS, HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!"

She shook Sasori while streams of tears washed over her face by her emotional fit.

"I WILL NEVER BE OKAY WITH IT! NEVER! UNDERSTAND?!"

She let go of him and slumped to the ground crying and sobbing uncontrollably. She finally let it out and she somehow felt light over her chest.

"I hate you all" she then sobbed louder.

Sasori saw how Sakura curled to a ball just by his feet and began to wail like a child. He pitied her but what he didn't understand was….

_Itachi? Kisame?_

He knew the duo didn't bother on anyone's affairs but Itachi could've done something. It's understandable of Kisame because he followed the will of the Uchiha but still both of them could've prevented whatever happened.

_Why didn't you do anything Itachi?_

"Stand up Haruno-san"

"Go away" she groaned still sobbing and curled up, making her words sound like she spoke underwater.

"So the girl does speak"

A deep voice emerged and a shadowed figure stepped out of the woods towards Sakura and Sasori followed by Konan a few steps back.

"Aa. Leader-sama" Sasori greeted him and glanced towards the woman. "Konan-san"

Sakura stiffened and glared at the Leader, whom eyes were ringed and the color of soft lavender that glowed eerie, his hair was spiky like Naruto's but the only difference is that his was orange. Not to mention the over-pierced face and ears.

She then felt the clay Sigva rub himself over her leg once she stood up.

"It's a little too late to be wandering around, not that it matters so I'll get to the point, I am known as Pein but you should direct to me as 'Leader' I will not tolerate none other than that. There are reasons why you are here and you will comply, understand? If not there will be an appropriate punishment and I'm guessing you know what will happen considering Hidan is in this organization" He stared at her with a face that held no trace of emotion.

_Sheesh…_ Sakura mentally rolled her eyes at the overlord ego he had. She did flinch when he mentioned Hidan and yes, she surely knew what will happen but she wouldn't do anything if it regarded the betrayal of her homeland. Even if she had to deal with Hidan.

The pierced Akatsuki paused and glanced towards Konan whom she nodded once.

"Haruno-san, it's been a while-" She smiled cheeky and Sakura replied with a shy one. "-we're not here to question you, if that's what you're thinking, we're actually here to ask you for your help"

_Are you serious? Some of you may be nice to me but hell no. I aint helping a bunch of psychos. Sorry._

"…." Silence is the better answer thought Sakura.

"We know you're a medic nin-" Konan glanced towards Sasori "-I'm guessing you found out right?"

Sakura stiffened. She knew she was well known because she was the fifth Hokage's apprentice but still she hoped for a little privacy on her skills.

"Hai" he nodded with a half grin while Sakura glared at him.

"….." [Evil doll!] She let him know how annoyed she was with the narrowing of her eyebrows.

"It was quite easy actually, since her wound would've taken her a week to be at the state she has it now"

_Crap, he's right…_

"So I figured she healed it whenever she was alone and that her chakra spikes to the vital organs often to check them up, probably sending necessary nutrients by converting her chakra since she's not having a fair amount of them."

"…." [Yeah, yeah you're very keen Sasori now shut up! You're making me look like a damn fool!] Her face rivaled his own in stoic features as she stared at the doll with fiery aura.

Sasori just smiled like a child at her, with closed eyes.

_Who are you now? Sai?...asshole._

"….." [What's wrong Haruno-san?] Smile still up, while he asked innocently.

_I swear for the love of Kami he's doing it on purpose!_

"….." [ONE WORD. Just one, Sasori, and I'll pulverize you for making me seem like a fool.] She returned the smile.

"…..." [That's not very nice Haruno-san] he shook his head and rose his eyebrows while still smiling.

She grit her teeth and she swore she felt her inner wake up for the first time in years but luckily it didn't or else she would've jumped him right there.

"….." [I'll show you what's not nice, _doll._] The air suddenly chilled around them and Sakura beamed laser glares with Sasori.

"….." [Bring it on….._Pinky._] and his grin grew ever so wide.

Oh she saw red.

_You didn't._

_I did._

Konan and the leader stood stupefied with poker faces once the doll and the pink had totally forgotten about them, they felt both of their auras turn violent in a split second and they were now alert.

_Did we just…get ignored?_ The leader was dumbstruck. _I, the god, just got ignored…._

"Konan?" asked the orange-haired Akatsuki.

She shook her head.

"Never seen them like this, I'm afraid I don't know what's going on"

"Hn. Is that so…. What do we do?"

"Ah?!" she almost gasped. It wasn't like him to ask about what to do next, he always knew what to do, but now that she thought about it…she didn't had a clue.

"I-I don't know"

Cricket.

"..."

"…."

"Should we watch?" he asked uncertain.

"Y-yeah, I suppose"

"Let's sit somewhere and see what happens" _maybe I can get to see what this girl packs other than medical skills._

"Hai"

Meanwhile…

Sasori and Sakura had their foreheads pressed together and mentally battled like kids for dominance, pushing their heads back and forth with every stupid come back.

[Puppet!]

[Pinky]

[Wood box]

[Skeleton]

[Doll!]

[Thank you]

[Ugh! Get over yourself Birdhouse!]

[Toothpick]

[Toy!]

[Flat chest]

[DICKLESS]

[Giant forehead]

"I HATE YOU! YOU STUPID HOLLOWED PUPPET! THAT COMEBACK IS RESERVED AND ONLY TO BE USED BY MY BEST FRIEND YOU DEVIL'S WORK!" Sakura screeched and waved her arms in the air.

Both Konan and the leader got startled and jumped to their feet, they didn't know what had happened between their weird staring contest.

"Do they have some telekinetic power or something?" came Konan's confused voice.

"Maybe?" _it doesn't seem to be it… they just understand each other very well. Hn._

"Heh. I don't care" smirked Sasori.

"YOU!" Sakura screeched and raised her fists to punch Sasori.

Sasori caught the first fist with his puppet hand and then the second with his free one.

They were normal punches or it'll been another story if they were packed with chakra…

And they battled for dominance yet again, foreheads and locked hands, glaring emerald eyes and grinning doll.

"For a straw you have a decent strength"

"This aint nothing puppet!" she almost spat him.

"Is that so?" _what are you made of then?_

"Hell yeah, you've seen nothing yet you creep!" _You're in for a surprise Sasori!_

"Show it to me"

_I'll show you alright!_

"**Gladly**."

She wide-grinned before her diamond purple seal appeared in the center of her forehead and a surge of massive chakra overflowed her body in matter of seconds. She was weak yes, but that didn't stop her from collecting chakra and storing it in her seal.

She had secretly perfected the chakra concealing manipulation she had previously used for the mission to obtain that stupid diamond she so wanted to crush for wasting her twelve perfect days. Whenever she had the chance she practiced and practiced and since she had nothing to do she mastered it in matter of days with little effort.

With that it made it impossible for anybody, even that god-ego leader, to detect her bank of massive energy she had been storing and she was proud of herself for that.

Sasori's eyes widen, he wasn't expecting that and then he felt Sakura's hands release his, then in a split second, she launched a raw chakra punch.

BOOM!

Since Sasori had the lake behind him and Sakura had released an inhuman punch, the force sent Sasori flaming though the lake and the water violently created parallel walls that rose to the midnight sky with fury.

Sigva disappeared through the woods in a dash almost leaving a trail of fire behind.

_Heh lil coward._

"I've seen enough, Konan, ask her later" _I don't want to get caught up in that love fair…plus I've seen what I wanted to see._

"But Nagato needs-"

"-later." _He can wait a bit more._

Her lips pressed as she was cut off and she nodded sourly at the dismissive leader then directed her gaze towards the scene between Sasori and Sakura.

The water walls finally died down and Sakura stood proudly, she let her seal disappear and fell knee-first to the ground panting heavily.

"Impressive"

"Huh?!" Sakura turned wide-eyed to find Sasori smirking down at her with a creepy stoic face.

"Hn. Nice punch Haruno-san"

Scratch-less.

"How did you?!"

"Quite easy"

"….." _this guy…I was sure I hit him square…_

_For this girl to be that physically weak and throwing a punch like that…I can only imagine in her prime…_

_Hn, and I had to escape to another doll…_

"Myself isn't just one doll. You hit me, technically. I just escaped to another doll I summoned."_ Before the other got pulverized…_

"Like a substitution?"

"Sort of"

"…"

"…"

"Can I ask you something?" Sakura said as she weakly looked up to him, he was blurry and disoriented in her eyes.

He sighed and nodded.

"I'll carry you"

"Tha…ks"

Flop.

She fell face first to the floor with her good side before passing out.

_Damn doll…my….face!..._

Black.

"Ha" Sasori couldn't help it she looked hilarious in the floor while unconscious and he neared her and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder not so gently before walking back to base. A clay Sigva appeared scanning the surrounding and followed behind his steps when he was sure there were no threat.

_Serves you right for destroying my puppet, Haruno. _

Konan left immediately without a word in a flock of paper butterflies, there was nothing else she could do.

Sasori glanced back and glared towards the clearing before continuing his way. His eyes were fixed on something or someone.

"…"

* * *

"We're gonna have him, _it_, on our necks tomorrow, Itachi."

"…." _Inevitable_.

"By the way, that girl is quite something, she could be a worthy snack for Samehada"

At the call of its name the giant sword wiggled in Kisame's back excitedly.

"That's right, all yours. He he" Kisame grinned as the sword shook more violently.

"She's needed" Itachi finally spoke.

Samehada flopped and turned heavy on Kisame's back.

Kisame grumbled at the sudden weight his sword put on.

"Hn? What for?" he asked annoyed. _Cooking?_

"…."

_Damn Uchiha and the silence…_

"Anyways we better come up with something for the puppet, I already can hear the creepy scolds"

"Hn."

Itachi answers to no one.

* * *

Knock.

"Come in Sas" came a sleepy Deidara behind the door.

"It's Haruno-san" Sasori lulled as he entered the room with her over his shoulder.

"WHAT DID-" Deidara appeared in front of him in a whim ghosting his hands over the draped body of Sakura.

"-She's exhausted" he explained shortly cutting him off, back to his usual self. Few words.

"Aa…"

Deidara poker-faced at his stupidity.

"You know Sas, you have that stupid lynx curled over your head, yeah" he sneered at his creation, he never thought he could hate one of his molded clays so much to wish for it to be destroyed.

"Its Haruno-san's or else it wouldn't be there"

Sigva opened an eye then yawned before hopping off Sasori's head to Sakura's futon where he disappeared beneath its sheets.

"Here, take her, you should let her sleep in bed, her muscles will welcome it" Sasori said as he passed her to Deidara's arms.

"Alright, yeah" he said while taking her bridal-style.

_She weighs less than a paper…_

"I'll take my leave" _got some re-designing to do…_

Sasori smoked out of the room leaving Deidara tucking Sakura under his bed's sheets. Once he had her comfortably set in he went over the futon and cuddled himself under it.

_It smells like her… like berries._

Scratch.

Deidara swore he saw hell once the lynx scratched him, he threw off the sheets to find the feline threat and when he grabbed the clay lynx it bit his hand and scratched his nose which made him drop it to shield his face.

"Are you serious!" he wanted to scream and blow the damn lynx but he didn't want to wake Sakura or make her sad for destroying the lynx, although he didn't know how she actually felt about it.

"I can't believe this, un…" Growled a defeated scratched Deidara whom now slept uncomfortably in a chair. "Sakura-san in my bed and the lynx at the futon and me well…" he sighed. _Chair…_

_I don't mind her, yeah… _

_But the lynx…_

He glanced towards the sleeping form of Sakura since he sat across the bed he could see her perfectly from where he was. He frowned at her skeletal form, she is beautiful yes, but she looked wrong. She looked weak, frail and breakable though she still held grace she was far from a decent body structure. Her face now scarred and stitched still held its beauty, her long lashes adorned over her pale cheeks, her fine nose brought up her now bony and scarred cheeks but complimented well enough, her thin lips held a faded pink color and her pink locks fanned around her features like delicate fallen petals. She was thin but still managed to catch an eye, she had hips and hand-sized breasts as well a pair of long graceful legs with weakened muscle mass and a heart shape behind that did well to back her up on her feminine beauty.

_I know what I'll do tomorrow, yeah._

* * *

Pain. Pain. Pain!

That was all Sakura felt in her skull.

She hadn't had a headache this intense since Naruto's silly yapping and nagging her for a date.

She groaned loudly and fisted her hands at the sides of her head and put pressure on her pulsing pain while so.

She willed herself up from bed and hit the floor hard, not expecting it, and she woke the clay Sigva and the sleeping Deidara which was at the chair in a weird uncomfortable pose.

She whimpered as pain added up in her throbbing head, she swore something pierced her skull just then because the pain was unbearable and it made her vision hazy.

"Oi! What happened, yeah?!" Deidara sprang up and was by her in an instant.

Sakura was tangled in the sheets and struggled for freedom, wriggling like a worm, all the while sending invisible cooling chakra to her temples to ease the pain.

_Since when the futon was this high? Damn that hurt…. _

Once she poked her head from under the sheets she glanced at her surroundings and found Deidara she then processed why she fell from her 'futon' and it was because she wasn't in it, she was in his bed and that's why she felt her body more relaxed. _Now I want a bed…_

"Yo, morning. Need some help?" he flexed down and reached a hand towards her with a shy smirk.

"…" she eyed him and nodded but didn't reach back because she was wrapped up like an over-stuffed burrito.

"Alright, let's get you out, yeah" she was really trapped between the sheets because he had to struggle a bit and Deidara wondered how that was even possible.

Once free he helped her up and then came again the awkward silence.

"Morning" it came as soft as a mother's caress but it stroke him like a powerful blow.

_The cherry spoke…_

"Yeah" he sounded dreamy and it made Sakura's cheeks buff with what little color she had.

_He has a handsome voice…fits him._

"Deidara" she spoke his name but never made eye contact, she stared at the wooden floor and she curled her lips.

"yeah?" he glanced down at her, waiting for whatever she had to say next, he then took how small and petite she was compared to him and he could easily tower a good feet or two over her and if he hugged her…she would fit perfectly against him. Deidara mentally blushed at that thought. He liked her, yes, but he wasn't totally sure why.

_Why do I like her, yeah?_ And he mentally frowned. Why did he liked her?

"Thanks…you know" she whispered and lifted her gaze.

Emerald on Sapphire.

His cheeks hid nothing and he covered half of his face with a hand and glanced away.

He nodded once and turned giving her a view of his back.

"Y-yeah, no prob, un"

He waved her off nervously and bee-lined to the door wanting to blow it away so he could dart off running but he restrained and willed himself to a stop just to tell her something before actually leaving.

"I'll bring you some food, real food, not the swamp goo these guys cook. Have anything you like specifically?" he actually frowned because he recalled talking to Sasori about her eating habits and that's when the puppet told him she was having the mystery food they served here, no wonder she looked like a ghost…

_Zetsu…what the hell is that plant trying to do to us with that food? Is it even possible to even call it 'food'? yeah. Konan should learn how to cook too, un… The zombies don't need food to live on so…yeah bad cooks if ever tried, though I've seen them eat sometimes. Sasori is well…Sasori. Kisame is a monster but prefers to eat raw fish and he complains about the food here but he, himself is a terrible cook. Itachi doesn't do kitchen but I heard from Kisame that he can do decent cooking but for himself only. Me? I just know how to blow things up, sadly, un. The Leader… I've never seen them eat so I really don't know but I'll take a good guess he's bad at it too._

Usually the plant was the one whom always was caught 'cooking', the kitchen was always dusty because no one bothered eating in group, usually most Akatsuki ate while in missions or just had fruit and light meals like salads and things that don't need any cooking back at their respective rooms.

Sakura thought for a while and she stared through him while she did, she basically could eat anything apart from the awful food they provided so she didn't had anything in mind but then she suddenly thought of Naruto and rapidly the smell and taste of ramen was in her taste buds and she smiled weakly.

"Ramen…I want…ramen."

_Eh? Well that wasn't something I was waiting for… I thought she would sabotage me with fancy expensive food…_

"Un, you'll get ramen then, count on it yeah" he gave her an almost Naruto-like grin "I'll tell Sasori to feed it to you once I get back" remembering that she only ate from the puppet's hand.

"Will you be back fast? How long will it take you?" she asked clearly surprising him.

_She's being talkative, yeah…. Awesome!_

"I'll try to, the nearest village with a ramen shop is about two hours away, so wait around five or six hours just in case I get attacked, yeah" he was at the door by then and each step he took away from her, each step she neared him.

She frowned disappointedly and nodded then she grabbed his robe making their eyes meet again.

"Please…" she started "if you come across leaf ninja, don't hurt them just disappear and let them be"

"…" _I don't like you begging me…_

"Please…" she tightened the grip and her lips curled shakily.

_Don't beg me…_

"Un" he nodded once and felt her grip loosen until she let go.

Deidara silently shut the door and walked out the corridors of the base to the outside of the genjutsu.

"Ramen."

He topped his head with his Akatsuki hat and he leaped through the trees, disappearing through them.

* * *

"That's one asshole out, now for that damn puppet…" an angry Hidan spat from the top of a tree. "You'll see lil bitch… you'll see what I'll do, heh."

He couldn't get more excited and he chuckled darkly before going to the direction of the puppet's room.

"I'm gonna play my cards now and no one's gonna stop me, Hidan."

* * *

**Short I know but I'll try to have a longer chapter next time with a bit of action and the appearance of new characters :)**

**I've already made a story development for the future so you guys are gonna be in for a surprise xD! I like to be evil so yeah, surprises are gonna be made!**

**Please review! 3**


	10. IX

Inside the puppet's room, soft ticks, hammering and wrenching were heard. The room was dimmed in red and the only light source came from the puppet's chakra strings that departed from his fingertips, they hummed as they connected to the newly reinforced puppet body that was splayed over the worktable in several pieces, when put together they assembled a human-like body.

"Now to test this one…" mumbled Sasori as he assembled the puppet and led it to a clearing.

The clearing was an experimental space and the newly constructed puppet was placed in the center. By the feet of the experimental puppet were other puppet pieces that seemed to be smashed, pulverized or blown up.

Failed experiments.

Sasori's brows furrowed in frustration, he has been trying to reinforce his puppets to at least withstand a massive blow like Sakura's punch and pose no threat to his core, he tried and tried but still no luck.

Going back and behind to what it seemed to be a decent sized wrecking ball infused with chakra, he studied the angle and graduated the force. He felt a spark by his side but didn't bid his attention to it.

"Get out Hidan."

As soon as Sasori said that, Hidan stepped out of the dimmed red shadows to the side of the puppet.

"Watcha up to huh asshole?" The silver haired Akatsuki folded his arms over his chest in contemplation of whatever was happening upfront him.

"Experiments" Sasori stated coldly.

"Heh, like always… don't you tire huh?" he eyed the puppet with a dark glint in his eyes.

"No" and Sasori pulled the lever that held the wrecking ball in place and it fell forward crushing the experimental puppet.

Both stood in silence as the smoked cleared revealing a pulverized puppet and a returning wrecking ball to its previous place.

_Well well, today's my lucky day…heh. _Hidan mentally chuckled. _You dug your own grave puppet._

"Did it work?"

"Fuck." Sasori breathed clearly angered.

"HoooooooooAHAHAHAHAHA did I just heard that from the cool-headed Sasori?!" Hidan shed tears, he couldn't have thought to ever hear the puppet cursing in his ever long lifetime.

"Get. out." Said Sasori as he walked over the pulverized puppet to clean up the mess it left, he was so into in the failure of his experiment that he didn't notice Hidan moving in a predatory way towards the lever.

"**Hell no.**" Grinned Hidan as he activated the lever sending the ball directly to Sasori. "Fool."

Sasori's eyes widened as he saw the fast incoming of the ball racing towards him.

_Damn it! So stupid of me, no time!_

CRASH!

"Never trust me, Hidan, I fear nothing puppet, not even your silly threat"

He said as he kicked the puppet's head out of his way that rolled to his feet and headed out triumphantly.

"Now where's that lil bitch? My cock hurts."

He stretched and began to whistle as he vaguely looked for the pink kunoichi.

"Yo pinky~ where are you?"

Ever so wide grin and dark purple eyes.

* * *

Sakura stiffened in the middle of Deidara's room. Something was wrong and she sensed it right away.

She couldn't feel Sasori's chakra and the hallways turned lifeless without sound of any kind.

Sasori always made sound, it was his way of luring away Hidan but now there wasn't even a wisp of sound.

"Yo Pinky!"

It was muffled and far away, vague and bored but she heard it and felt like vomiting.

Sakura panicked instantly and found that she couldn't move an inch.

_He knows where I am… he knows! _

She retraced her steps away from the door, not giving her back to it.

Step.

"Pinky?" it sounded nearer.

Step.

"Pinkyyy" clearer and louder.

Step.

"PINKY!" just behind the door.

It was her last step before her back was pressed to the wall and she then learned she was quivering like a cowered hamster, she felt her lungs constrict and beads of sweat collected at her forehead, she didn't take off her emerald eyes from the door that was closed. The barrier between her and the monster. She was so panicked that she hallucinated the door nearing closer and closer until it was by the tip of her nose, all sound muffled and her heart beat loud in her ears as too the rushing blood.

_Run. Run. Run. Run!_

_MOVE! _

_DO SOMETHING!_

She mentally screamed orders to her frail body.

Her body didn't obey, it just stayed pressed to the wall, she dug her nails over the dark colored wall until they bled.

She still saw the door just by her nose and she was about to lose it until she felt an uncomfortable pain by her ankle and she forced herself to look down at the source and there she found Sigva.

He bit her in attempt to snap her out and she did, she remembered the reason why Sigva was given to her and it was to protect her, she even out her breathing and took a shaky step towards Deidara's bed.

Eyes fixed on door.

"Pinky" Hidan shivered her nickname behind the door like he was on the verge of climax "I missed you" he cooed behind the door and rasped his manicured nails over the door leaving trails etched behind.

"Open up will ya?" he sounded pleadingly like a just fought married couple.

Still no response from the girl.

"OPEN UP DAMN YOU!" He banged at the door and shouted impatiently. He could easily blast away the door but for his sadistic nature he wanted it to make it more dramatic.

The door leaked his sickening chakra and it made her stomach churn in disgust, she could even make out the color of his chakra for how strong he let it out. Violet, like his eyes. She was out of breath and she blended her chakra in Deidara's room before leaping out of the window and disappearing through the woods unnoticeable.

"Oi baby, I know you're there I can smell you, you're all over the place…I like that." he punched his fist through the door, just by the side of the handle and grabbed it. He tired of playing and now he wanted it all.

_Just a lil bit more bitch…_

Hidan turned the handle ever so slowly as if savoring the moment and once the door retracted he slid his arm out and pushed it whole, giving him access to the room.

Empty.

"What."

Then his eyes caught the opened window and he immediately glared supernova at the opening.

"Bitch left me throbbing….heh doesn't matter, it makes it more interesting." He licked his lips as he crouched over the window frame ready to jump out and in that exact moment Hidan's face was tackled by a clay lynx, throwing him back at the room bouncing on Deidara's bed and hitting the floor.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He laser beamed at the source of his attack and found the small lynx.

"Clay huh? Jeez Deidara I'm offended." He eyed the growling lynx and when it leaped again for his face he dodged the animal and crushed it in midair with his scythe.

The lynx pulverized and turned into dust with a soft mewl. The dust collected at the wooden floor and Hidan stood up and stepped over the dust quite annoyed.

"Fucking cat"

BOOM!

The lynx was still made of explosive clay, it didn't blew up due to a special jutsu Deidara had manifested but now that the lynx was destroyed, it returned to the raw explosive material it used to be by being released of the jutsu and once Hidan stepped over it with quite the force, it was easily a landmine being set off.

"I swear by lord Jashin, Deidara's next on my curse list, prick!" he grumbled under his breath fixing his messy hair. He dusted his shredded Akatsuki robe while he sat and glanced around the room.

"Now… where's my leg?"

* * *

Sakura dashed as fast as her wakened legs could take her through the thick branches, she was at it for quite a while and found herself tiring already.

She glanced back at the peaking base up the tree tops and she saw smoke and frowned confused.

_Deidara hasn't come back yet…why is there smoke?_

Sakura studied around her surroundings and felt like something was missing.

_Where's Sigva? _

Her shoulders dropped in realization and felt a weight over her chest.

_No… not my Sigva! It couldn't!_

Sakura lowered her head and bit her tongue as she sobbed softly, though she didn't had much time with the lynx it was still her only friend when she was alone and it was given to her by someone who cared about her. In truth she loved the lil fella, it had his own personality for any given situation and it was lazy as hell making him adorable in away.

"S-sigva" she sniffled and her jade eyes never left the rising smoke.

She stood frowning at the same spot for quite some time until she tired and hopped down the tree. She was again at the lake, it was the border of the genjutsu so she was at her leash's limit.

Sakura walked over the water with the chakra allowing her to do it and she poked at the invisible barrier in which rippled invisibly, she was frustrated and later she sighed.

_I hope Sasori is alright….. It had to be Hidan._

_Maybe I should check up on him? But what if Hidan…._

_Makes no difference here to there since I'm practically in a cage…_

_I could escape…yeah…_

But she turned around and began to head towards base ignoring her last thought. Something kept her tied to this place willingly and she knew very well.

Sasori took care of her while she was a disaster, it's time to pay the debt.

Up at the tree tops stood a half-naked Hidan eyeing the pink kunoichi, he held Zetsu by the throat vaguely like it was a sword since the plant had the ability to blend in nature unnoticeably.

"Heh, this bitch."

"**Can you let go of us now**?" "Yeah let go of us man"

"Heh whatever"

"**I yearn the day you finally die so we can eat you**" "yeah eat you, fucker"

"The day you spawn children will be the day I die"

"**We can spawn**" "yeah spawn"

"Then I'm already dead, too bad, you can't kill a dead man"

"**We'll see**" "yeah we'll see"

The creepy plant melted onto his surroundings ever so slowly, both halves stared hungrily at Hidan and they synced a murderous grin towards him, promising.

"Che."

Hidan disappeared

* * *

"Damnit! What do you mean you're out of noodles grandma, un?!" Deidara fisted his hair in total frustration.

"I told you sonny for the millionth time I'm out of flour!" the old lady at the ramen shop smacked Deidara with a paper fan over the head.

"Ite! Heeeyyyy don't you know who I am?!" Deidara grumbled at the old lady while he rubbed his head and she replied with a combo of hits with the paper fan.

"Aa. Don't care! You can't just come over my shop and 'Akatsuki' me you silly boy! I own the daaaaaaaamn place and I make the rules here! I'm still your elder too and you should learn how to respect! AND CUT YOUR HAIR!" she grabbed hold of his pony tail and Deidara squirmed under the lady's hold.

"Oi! Oi! I get it! I get it!" he broke free and stepped away from the tiny lady whom was up for another fan combo.

"That's right silly boy, now get out!" She said as she threw a series of different cooking utensils at him.

"Listen baa-baa I need the ramen! I can't leave without it!" he dodged every single item thrown at him, sighing without even looking.

"Then go buy the flour stupid boy! Here!" she threw him a small coin purse. "Make yourself useful and buy fifty pounds of flour with that and I'll make you ramen, now scram! My customers depend on you girly-boy."

"WHAT DID YOU-"

"-SCRAM!" she towered darkly with a bloodthirsty aura over him, paper fan in hand and flaming.

"Yes ma'am"

And he was off for the flour.

"I'll show you granny, un" he mumbled under his breath while pouting.

"SHOW ME WHAT?!" The tiny old lady beamed laser glares at the Akatsuki and she tapped the paper fan over the palm of her free hand in a threatening way.

"Urk!" he tensed and sweat dropped, he didn't notice that he hasn't left her side yet.

"N-nothing baa-baa!" and he summoned a clay bird once he got a decent distance away from the ramen shop and flew off towards the nearest street market.

_Jeez…with that attitude that lady steps over out leader…_

He chuckled silly and fixed his hair that was in the way and looked forward.

"Flour, ramen, base, Sakura-san"

He let his mouth curve to a small smile.

_Just wait a bit more Sakura-san…_

* * *

In a dimmed red room with scattered broken puppet pieces laid the now broken body of Sasori over the piles of the previous pulverized experimental puppets. His puppet body was shattered in an irreparable way but luckily the blow had missed his core greatly but a shattered piece had pierced it and black liquid oozed out from the core drop by single drop, pooling as it collected on the floor.

A drone puppet that had some of Sasori's chakra sealed inside it, began to assemble a new body for him, it worked flawlessly and with little effort and in matter of minutes the puppet had made Sasori a good quality body. The drone picked up the core and inserted it in the gap over the chest.

Chakra power-flowed rapidly in the new body ready to be controlled. Sasori's eyes rolled to position and in an instant he touched his oozing core.

_This is bad…_

His stoic face bored to his puppet fingers that were now dirtied with the black liquid of his essence. He needed to fix his core fast or else he won't work properly and it will eventually lead to his death.

He glanced at the drone whom was beginning to twitch in malfunction, since it was infused with his chakra, it depended on it to work properly but as Sasori's core leaked the bond of the chakra became weaker and weaker and thus making it not work properly.

_I need a new deposit…_

_And a trustworthy hand…_

Deposits, he had millions but a hand he could trust he had none at the moment.

Deidara was away and he didn't trust Konan for she could find out his function and use it against him in the future, plus it lead to telling to their leader so it was a big NO. Itachi could be of use but they were sour at the moment and the shark was his lapdog, it made no difference. Kakuzu…._'I don't have money.' _Zetsu was probably watching him at the very moment since he was everywhere but the idiot doesn't do shit unless ordered. And it left to;

_Sakura…._

_Will she help me?_

His puppet face frowned.

_Maybe she won't, after all, I'm still an Akatsuki…_

He sighed, even though he had no need for it, and tried to move but it was useless since he began to shake without control over his puppet body.

"…."

He glanced at his core once the puppet drone dropped to the floor free of his chakra.

Placing a puppet hand over the leak he stayed still in place until his legs gave out on him and fell backwards with his hand still in place.

"…."

_Is this it?_

"…_."_

Sasori stared at the red ceiling and his brows furrowed as his mind began to disorient, showing past doings in his life time. Some were blurred and some were vivid. They came in series of shots, like lightning.

And the first one played.

"_Yo Sas!" came Deidara all excited with what it seemed to be a new concept of clay molding, it looked like a small lynx._

"_No" he replied coldly._

"_W-what?! But you haven't seen it yet! You'll like this one, yeah" He said proudly._

"_No matter what you show me it will not catch my eye, Deidara-san" Sasori replied as he began to assemble his favorite puppet, The Third Kazekage._

"_Oh yeah? We'll see about that, un…hiyah!" Deidara threw the small clay lynx at Sasori like he was a professional baseball player, making Sasori react to the attack and launching a fast summoned puppet at the income._

"_Hehe" Deidara smirked as he performed the seal "behold!" the seal activated and the clay lynx tripled in size in a cloud of smoke._

_Sasori's face froze and his brow twitched as the lynx tackled the puppet and just stared at him._

"_Heh now that's what I call eye-catching meoooowwww" Deidara celebrated._

"…_. Deidara"_

"_Yeah?!" he asked triumphantly._

"_You suck"_

"_WHAT?!" he gloomed then grumbled walking away from the puppet and flipped him off. _

_The giant lynx poofed out._

"_Stupid clay head"_

The puppet's vision dimmed slightly and Sasori still held his stoic face at the ceiling. He forced a smile, then his eyes shut for he could no longer control his lids and another vision of the past projected.

_She lied there in the floor all broken and dirtied, naked and abused. Her legs shook as they pulled together weakly, she was a masterpiece, perfectly shaped. An exotic blends of colors; pink, jade, ivory, rose and peach. Like spring. _

_Long graceful hands with manicured green nails. His favorite feature of her._

_Her soft broken whimpers, tired from screaming, chimed ever so musical though it was her broken distress._

_She squirmed and wailed in Deidara's hold but stilled with a mere eye contact. Intelligent._

_She trusted my hands when I could've killed her. Innocent._

_She only ate from my hand when I could've poisoned her. So innocent._

_She shut herself to protect herself. Wise._

_A flower blooming in a pool of blood. Akatsuki's flower. _

_My flower. My friend I must protect._

"….."

Sasori stayed silent and just counted the seconds as time passed. He felt nothing, it was just his time but before his last drop came a last vision. So clear he thought he was re-living it.

'_Come on Haruno eat up.'_

_Sasori said as he raised a goo-like mystery food over her pressed lips._

_She narrowed her brows and pressed her lips harder as he tried to open up her mouth with the spoon filled with evil food._

_[No.]_

'_You need to eat'_

_And he insisted once more._

_[Yes but not this crap]_

_She pulled away her face and folded her arms across her chest and huffed._

'_How about you cook and...-'_

_[No.] she cut him off with a glare._

'_Then eat this' Spoon up again._

_She twisted her face in disgust._

_[I'd rather eat raw fish]_

'_I can get you Kisame if you want' he grinned and so did she._

'_How do you want him? Sashimi? Rolled up in a sushi? Or in salad?...soup maybe?'_

_[Sashimi sounds good, with extra soy sauce, he'd probably taste bad alone.]_

_Both laughed quietly between them and he dropped the spoon away and stood up reaching down to her._

_She looked up confused,_

'_Let's go fishing'_

_Her jade eyes widen and her lips parted, she then smiled and nodded before reaching out to him. To the hand that could kill her._

_[Yeah]_

_She trusts me….she trusts me….trusts me…trus…t…e…_

* * *

SLAM!

The door swung violently as Sakura broke into the puppet's room, she squinted her eyes adjusting her vision to the red dimmed room. Her jade eyes took in the room's condition and rapidly found the body of Sasori.

"Sasori!" Sakura skipped over the broken puppet pieces until she reached the downed Akatsuki.

"Hey are you alright? Did Hidan do something. to . you…" her voice died down once she took in.

His eyes are closed and he's irresponsive. No chakra flow.

"h-hey…don't joke like this Sasori" She felt her heart race under her throat and she glanced down at the puppet body and flowed her chakra to his body. It didn't work.

"I-I don't know how to help you…y-you're not human" she felt her eyes stinging and her lips quivered.

"S-Sasori please!" She shook his irresponsive body. "No…"

_Nononononononono!_

Sakura ghosted her hands over the remains of Sasori, the poor lightning of the room caused her to miss the puppets core, she lifted the body and wrapped her arms around him, cradling him as she sobbed while rocking back and forth.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Huh?" Sakura placed the puppet gently to the wooden floor and she studied the substance that had collected in her chest with her fingers. It looked like blood but only that it was too gooey and black to be it.

"What is this?"

She looked down at his chest and finally saw his core and her eyes widen.

The substance began to hum in her fingertips, signaling her to spark her chakra and she did. As soon as she sparked her chakra her pupils constricted then dilated until all her eyes were as black as night.

White. Everything was white around her.

Sakura gasped as she appeared naked in the vast white.

"Where am I?"

[Am I? am I?]

The only reply she got was her echo.

"Hello?"

[Lo. Lo. Lo]

Echo.

"You're inside my soul, Haruno-san" a very familiar lulling voice echoed behind her and she turned around gasping.

"Saso…ri?" she quiet down as she saw Sasori.

_It's him alright…but as a child?_

"Surprised?" the child Sasori grinned.

Sakura nodded and let her eyes take detail of the child, naked child, and she blushed in embarrassment.

"It's alright" he said as he noted her apologetic gesture.

"Y-yeah"

"You're probably wondering why you're here and how you got here." Child Sasori walked up to her and took her hand while he looked at her.

"Yes"

"First of all we are connected by chakra, when my essence came in contact with you I could feel you. I channeled my chakra hoping you would do the same so we could connect and luckily you did"

Sakura nodded once as tears began to moisten her jade orbs.

"Hidan did this to me" he felt her tense in his tiny hand and saw how her breath collected on her throat.

"…" Sakura lowered her head and curled her lips to chew on them while tears threatened to fall over the corners of her eyes.

"I'm surprised you came back for me Haruno-san…you don't need to explain" he squeezed his tiny hand on hers as she looked at him with teary eyes.

"g-guh-huh" Sakura bit back her cries as hard as she could but still some soft sobs escaped. She couldn't hold much longer.

"Don't cry I'm not dead yet but that's when I need you….can you help me?"

He actually frowned as he asked her, he was 'nervous' she would reject him and he waited never letting his eyes away from her.

Sakura nodded quietly as streams of tears rode down her pale scarred cheeks and Sasori's eyes widen in awe. He lifted his free tiny hand and reached out to her, wanting to cup her face but she was too tall.

"Thank you." He said sincerely and downed his arm back to his side, never letting go of her hand with his other.

Sakura couldn't hold it and she crouched down and hugged the small Sasori and began to cry out.

"It was my fault!" she began hysterically.

"No…it wasn't" Sasori hesitated to place his hand at the back of her shoulder in attempt to calm her down.

"Of course it was! I saw the wrecking ball!" _I saw it all! You were trying to withstand a blow similar to mine…if I hadn't done that, this would've never happened!_

"…." _Keen._

"I'm not stupid!" she said between sobs and slimy sniffles.

_I know, Haruno-san…_

"I was trying to reinforce my puppets….. And I got lost in thought with the experiment and that's when Hidan showed up, he saw me pulverizing a puppet"

"I'm so sorry!" she almost power-hugged him and he squeaked a little.

"Aish, Haruno-san, you're really going to kill me like this" he patted her head.

"Sorry…" she half chuckled and let him go and sat Indian-style to be at the same height as him.

_It's not your fault, flower…._

"What can I do to help you?" she asked as she rested both her hands over his tiny shoulders.

"take a container from the 'Deposit' labeled box under the surgical table and write the sigil of 'soul' inside the container with my essence or the black liquid then do a small cut in your thumb and deposit three drops of blood over the sigil to activate the jutsu"

She nodded with wise eyes and she squeezed his shoulders.

"Then place the container near the essence and it should be drawn back inside, creating a new core and once it's fully done just insert it in the gap of the body, understand?"

"Hai" she nodded determined with sharp jade eyes.

"Good" he smiled and clapped his hands once and performed a seal.

"I'll release you….take care of me Haruno-san"

Sasori blurred in her view and all danced around her until it began to clear up to a red dimmed room.

Her jades were back to normal as she blinked several times. She stood up determined to his instructions and froze.

The room chilled and her hairs rose, she felt him, so strong. The devil. Hidan.

"Pinky" he rasped darkly from the waiting shadows and stepped forward revealing his grinning face.

Sakura didn't turn around, her skeletal body froze in the spot and she fisted her hands. He noted she took in a deep breath, then actually stiffened when he heard sudden chimes.

"H-how dare y-you…" she spoke shaky, afraid to look at him.

"Heh what? The puppet?" he slid his hands through his silken silver hair as he began to step closer to her.

"How could you?! What did you do to him?! You monster!" she glared the big bang at him, causing him to stop his tracks.

"Heh oi… you don't get to look at me like that bitch and as for the puppet…I…did this…" he pulled the lever.

Sakura stood at the same spot where Sasori was destroyed, allowing Hidan to knock her back to the wall, it cracked around her and she coughed up blood and groaned trying to catch her breath. Hidan was in front of her in a flash before she dropped to the floor and lowered down to meet her gaze with a serious face as he held her pressed to the cracked wall with just a finger.

"That's the problem you all have with me. You take me too lightly" he grabbed her neck with the same hand that held her in place and squeezed hard causing her to gasp painfully for air. Her eyes widen and her pupils shook in fear, a shaky feminine hand grasped over the masculine one that choked her in attempt to loosen it.

"I'll tell you something little bitch-" he loosen his grip willingly and lowered his tongue to lick the blood on her lips before he continued "**You're. Mine.** And this time I'll **curse** you for talking back to me."

* * *

"Itachi." The shark called out to him but the Uchiha busied himself with his hot tea.

"…" The Uchiha didn't bother to raise attention as his partner called him out.

"Itachi…" Kisame scratched his head, he didn't want to piss off the Uchiha but something had to be done or else the best cook in the house will be taken away. "…the girl, Hidan, no Sasori or Deidara…"

"…." Teacup in his lips.

"We can get the puppet out of our necks if we stop him…just saying, because he knows…" he mumbled in defeat and sat at the window frame of the Uchiha's room.

The shark noted when Itachi flinched at his comment. He considered it.

"Hn"

Teacup shattered in his fist and he stood up, not bothering to wear the trademark robe as he walked out of the room towards disaster.

A grinning Kisame behind with an excited Samehada wiggling at his back.


	11. X

**Please excuse the late post! I actually lost this chapter in my documents and it turned out I had it saved under "groceries". Yeah LOL! silly me! I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter though...it's rather short and lacking :( please review! The other chapter is almost finished so I'll be posting it early! Enjoy!**

* * *

A grin with sharp pointed teeth was spread over Kisame's blue shark face, his sword Samehada, wiggled at Kisame's back with anticipation as base began to reek of blood thirst and it made soft rattling noises under the bandages that wrapped it.

Kisame and his sword followed behind the bored steps of the Uchiha prodigy and the hallway echoed both Akatsuki's steps loudly as their silence persisted. The shark's eyes were fixed on Itachi's bleeding fist, the Uchiha had pierced it earlier with the shards of his broken teacup when he crushed it under his fist with ease. Kisame felt beads of sweat collect over his blue forehead, under his protective metal band and he was holding his breath ever since the Uchiha got wounded.

He had shark nature and blood lured him naturally and each drop of blood that fell on the wooden floor echoed distortedly on his eardrums, hearing the droplets slower, clearer and louder.

Kisame saw and heard everything. It was inhuman.

The way how slowly the blood sounded when it collected at the tip of the Uchiha's pale knuckle and how it sounded when it broke to a fall, it was all so slow and anxious to Kisame. His heart beat loud and slow on his eardrums and all surroundings sounded like underwater.

His shark eyes followed sharp to the droplet and it hurt his ears how it echoed explosively when it connected over the wooden floor and the way it sounded as it stretched and molded with gravity before glossing the wooden floor with its dark brownish color.

He held his breath so hard he turned another shade of blue but he prayed for self-control so the Uchiha could spare his life, the first time he lost his control…he lost a limb and was lucky to have it reattached by Kakuzu. Kisame was warned that day, that next time it would be his head torn out and so he prayed.

_I swear he did it on purpose, because he's not that stupid to go on hurting himself._

A sharp scream pierced Kisame's ears and it snapped him out of his bloody trance and jerked up his chin then tossed a glance to Itachi, whom paid no mind. Their pace never changed, not until the screams turned agonizingly horrifying.

_The chills…_Kisame thought.

He personally loved to torture his victims, mostly for information than fun but when it came to women…he won't do.

_Women make the most horrifying sounds whenever in pain, it slices up your mind and eats it away like an aggressive cancer, so sharp and so clear it will stay there in the deepest corner of your mind and repeat itself over and over again in an infinite loop…_

[Agonizing wail]

_Make it stop. _

[Scream]

_Make her screams stop!_

Kisame was about to go nuts, he didn't know why Itachi had suddenly stopped at the kunoichi's screams but whatever it was he wanted to just pop at the scene and kill Hidan and kick the girl out of the base for causing too much trouble but the Uchiha just stood there with his stupid bloodied fist he so wanted to eat. Kisame wanted to whine like a child to Itachi for not moving an inch, the girl's screams sounded more and more weak as if she tired already, but if Itachi didn't do anything he wouldn't dare do the opposite.

"Itachi" He side glanced the Uchiha and just then his shark eyes widened.

_What the hell?_

Kisame had seen it even if it was just a glimpse but he swore he saw an unfamiliar grin right after the girl's scream.

_He finally went nuts? Oh my Jaws. _**[xD get it? Jaws? Shark movie? No? :( ]**

_What a bastard…he's enjoying it. Still…I won't risk it for the girl…_

Just then Itachi disappeared from his eyes.

_Aa. Never mind, there he goes…now should I go or nay? Nay. His lil bloodied fist would just tickle me up to no good._

* * *

At the mere appearance of the Uchiha, Hidan froze and it earned Sakura a gasp of air.

She was marked under the Jashinist's curse and felt every bit of pain Hidan inflicted upon himself, Itachi knew that for Hidan was all black and had the skeletal-like outline all around his body.

His stoic face bored to the Jashinist that was kneeled at the floor with the kunoichi under him and just barely he let his eyes glance to his needle-like instrument that was impaled through his left ribcage then to the pink haired kunoichi that looked more like a twitching rag doll under the weight of Hidan, gasping for air with ragged breaths.

"What is it pretty boy?" Hidan hissed at him with a sadistic grin. "Wanna share?" He licked and smacked his now black lips, while he continued to slowly rock his hips down at Sakura not breaking his stare with the crimson-eyed Itachi.

Sakura had previously beaten Hidan to mashed potato with her inhuman strength but it only served her to know that it was futile and a waste of chakra as he wasn't a normal human, mortal just to say. This time she fought back as too collected Sasori's essence once she broke free from his hold, she was a skilled ninja and she had managed to blow him out of the room through the ceiling with her signature punch, ripping one of his arm off in the process and it had granted her enough time to save Sasori's core and hide it before Hidan came back inside the room as a rabies-spewing devil and taking her out in seconds. He had side-stepped another critical punch causing her to create a huge gap as her fist connected at the wall and pulled her hair with his only hand and threw her off balance by tilting her body to the opposite way the gravity had pulled her, though it wasn't enough to get her to fall as she balanced herself quickly, it was enough for him to lure her to the tip of his razor scythe that was angled over his shoulder just enough to cut her successfully over her forehead, it drew out blood though the cut wasn't visible, like a paper cut, but it was just enough to curse her. And he did.

For any means Sakura had taken the pleasure of ripping his arm out of his body and now that she was practically broken under his will she glared the big bang at him though she suffered immense pain, she still glared at him once she tired of screaming. And for her luck the one person she didn't want to see popped into the room to ruin her life all the more.

"No."

It was the only thing the Uchiha prodigy said, it was deep and final, just as his Sharingan eyes.

"Huh? Suit yourself…whooooo, I'm already done." He chuckled then cooed at the glaring Sakura, he caressed and pinched her nose as if she were a baby before pulling out of her and tidying himself. His curse fading.

"I'll be back for you again pinky, can't resist a woman who can rip me apart rawr"

Hidan winked at her as she lost her consciousness before turning around.

"And to you U…chi….huh?"

No Uchiha.

CRUSH!

"G-guh!"

Hidan literally felt his jaw being crushed in a million pieces as too being held in place by its force.

"I think you've taken the confidence in ignoring me Hidan."

_This guy… to just hold me to his will with just one hand…and when did he get to my side? I had him checked over and over with chakra as soon as he popped in!_

Itachi had appeared at the Jashinist side and crushed his hand at his jaw, clearly pissed off, and forced the Jashinist to lock gazes with him as he guided his face with his crushing hand while he spoke to him.

"I think I've had enough." Itachi nearly hissed at the immortal and pressed his grip harder.

"**Oh boy**" "Yeah, Oh boy" Zetsu, the two sided abomination crept its head from the floor as if it was part of it. Both sides, Black and White, had personalities of their own but mostly the white side did as the black side does thus making the black side dominant over the whole fused body. Both had identical yellow pupil-less irises and green spiky hair, to put it simple the two halves formed a single entity. They were easily distinguished as they had Venus fly-trap extensions emerging from either side which they could open and close at will and it served as a protective shell once closed, gaining the nickname of 'The Plant' or 'Vegetable' because of it. No one truly knew of 'their' nature, mystery resolved around them at all times. The smell of death lured them naturally and they are known to eat the carcasses of fallen victims.

Zetsu crawled back to the floor, dissolving completely out of sight, it was best to return when all was finished.

"Y-you can't k-kill me" Hidan forced out the words as he glared at the Uchiha, his heart skipped once as Itachi replied to his comment with a half smirk.

"Hn. I don't intend to."

!

The last bit of reality Hidan had seen was the swirling pinwheels shifting forms to another stage in the eyes of the Uchiha and engulfing him into a black, white and red world.

_Where am I?_

The world mirrored his form in the afar, to his sides, underneath and over him and every move he made his reflections did the same.

_Is this a joke? _Hidan pouted and rested his lone arm over his hip, his reflections the same.

_Hooo I look good from that angle… _He said as he saw his reflection.

Just then he noted several Itachi behind every reflection of him and immediately turned to face him in a battle stance.

_Oi!_

Hidan didn't had time to do anything at all when he faced Itachi, the Uchiha created another illusion at the spot and all around him seemed to shatter like a broken mirror and once all shards crumbled and turned to glistering dust, Hidan was in his worst nightmare.

_GET THEM OFF!_

Hidan hysterically yelled out, he was losing his grip on sanity as he lived his worst nightmare.

_GET THEM OFF FUCKING UCHIHAAAAAAAAA!_

He began to whimper in disgust and later on let out a throat sore scream as he lifted his lone hand to his view.

_ILL FUCKING KILL YOU FOR THIS YOU HEAR ME?! ILL. FUCKING. KILL-YOU!_

Each accentuated word grew in pitch with total desperation, he felt a huge lump on his throat and his senses swam with anxiousness. He heaved for each breath and he grunted while he tried to shake away what was bothering him.

Maggots.

They were all over his body, not just in the surface but actually inside him eating him away. He could feel them eating his flesh, he could feel them in his mouth, his ears, his nose and everywhere. The way they squirmed inside him as hey wiggled their way to the surface of his skin stinging as they ate him away was a horrific feeling and much more for the immortal, since being immortal, death was his only fear and not so much for death but the process of rotting itself and he was now living that process in the very flesh.

Hidan hyperventilated with utter disgust as he was being eaten alive, he squatted down and emptied his stomach in which it didn't help, he vomited a load of maggots. They were aggressive and hungry and they crawled back to him hoping to devour more of his now rotting flesh. Some were large, some were small and each and every single one of them craved for his flesh.

_I'll fucking kill you, I'll fucking fucking kill you! I'll curse you and I'll never release you, I'll make sure you suffer in the most unimaginable ways in pain and hope you die screaming you lil piece of shit! I'll rip off those fucking eyes you're so proud of and I'll make you swallow them, choke you with them you fucking asshole! FUCK YOU! FUCK! YOUUU!_

He ripped off his cloak and was bare-chested, with his lone arm he fisted his silver hair and began to scream his lungs out.

_GET THEM OOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFF!_

He then fell to his knees. Eyes darting everywhere and anywhere for a way out but he saw nothing but black, red and white in disoriented patterns.

Some time had passed while the maggots were now increasing in quantity and still Hidan was spewing curse words like a maniac. This only served like fuel to his anger towards the Uchiha.

_YOURE A FUCKING PUSSY!_ Hidan began to laugh like a lunatic as he referred to the Uchiha. _A PUSSY! YES! THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE! A FUCKING PUSSY-ASS BOY!_

He scratched furiously his itchy skin as the maggots surfaced and fell off of him.

_FUCK! FUCK! _Hidan whimpered the curse words as his anger turned to panic. If he knew how to cry, he would do so now.

_I'll get you, you little cunt…I'll get you_.

The smell of his rotting flesh overpowered his senses, he watched as his flesh bubbled in fowl-smelling fluids while maggots swam in it aggressively, his face began to melt in chunks and his teeth were falling as his gums gooed apart. He had stopped cursing a long time ago and time itself was lost in his tracks.

_How long has it been?_

Hidan now laid face-up with his rotting body melting away and letting the maggots feast on what little flesh he had.

_How long has it been?_

To be truthful, three days in the dimension but to him it felt like years…a thousand years…rotting.

_How much longer?_

His gooey flesh still melted but now it slid down his now showing bones, pooling around his skeletal outline, maggots now slowing their pace as they began to die. The bones turned to calcium instantly and pored rapidly then a slight wind blew and dusted away his remains leaving only the Jashinist's ritual necklace. Silver with a simple design of a triangle inside a circle.

* * *

As Hidan snapped back to reality he felt his stomach churn, he doubled over once the Uchiha released his jaw and emptied his stomach away from him, his forehead was beaded with large sweat drops and his pulled-back silver hair was sticking behind his neck as it was dampened with sweat. He shivered and gasped while he had his violet eyes fixed on the floor, his brows pulled together as he felt sick again and threw up once more.

"Fuck" he said in-between gasps.

He straighten up and wiped his mouth with the back of his lone hand and stumbled disoriented to the nearest unbroken wall and fell to it with his armless side grasping his symbolical necklace with his only hand and once he collected his breath he threw a threatening glare to the Uchiha whom didn't find it offending with his bored gaze.

"One of these days, porcelain baby boy, I'll fuck you up" he spat at the dirty floor to seal the promise and collected himself then pushed himself off the wall towards his detached limb that was under a pile of rubble and picked it up.

"Damn bitch…scratched the fucking ring" he mumbled furiously.

With that Hidan left the room through the gap the pink kunoichi had created in their previous battle, he didn't get too far before he heard something large whirling towards him and moments after he felt sweet pain erupt through his body as he was pierced with a three pointed weapon he knew so well through his back and the red razor ends stick up through his chest in a messy blood splatter.

"You forgot your scythe" said the Uchiha coolly.

"Fuck you" with that Hidan flipped off the Uchiha as he walked away from him not even caring to look back at him, at least he didn't have to come back for his scythe.

_Damn fucker._

"WHAT?!" the Jashinist yelled at the Shark as he stared at him.

Kisame had been there the whole time, even though he said he wouldn't go, but he wanted to see if Itachi could actually do something to the immortal. But as he thought what could Itachi do to the Jashinist, said person had come out through the very gap he was going to peek in (nearly scaring him shitless) in the worst state he had ever seen him in all of his time with the Akatsuki and could do nothing else but stare at him.

"Jeez, Zombie, chill."

"I don't like you staring at me, blue shit, I don't like it a bit."

"For getting your ass kicked you sure are lively" Kisame said as he stared longer.

The Jashinist stopped on his tracks.

"Don't. Fucking. Stare." He hissed.

"Or what?" Said the shark as he stared hungrily. His eyes glinted darkly as a drop of blood fell from the tip of the impaled weapon Hidan had through his chest.

_Motherfucker, I ain't your food…_

"…fuck off" and he flipped off the Shark just like he did to the Uchiha and walked past him, giving him a good view of his back. With the impaled scythe.

Kisame actually frowned when Hidan flipped him off. He really wanted to piss of Hidan so he could at least make the Jashinist lunge at him and have a valid excuse to present their leader once he ate him along with Samehada and keep his head over his shoulders.

_Maybe some other time then… _thought Kisame disappointedly and sighed quite loud.

"**Hidan lives still**" "Yeah lives still" both halves of Zetsu frowned disappointedly before melting into the surroundings of the room undetected.

Still feeling Itachi's chakra Kisame peeked through the gap and his shark eyes nearly popped out at what he saw.

_Holy Jaws! _

* * *

Once Hidan left through the gap in Sasori's room and began to yell bullshit he didn't care towards his partner, Itachi turned his attention to the unconscious pink haired kunoichi.

Her knuckles were butchered and her blunt nails were outlined with blood, could be hers or of her opponent. Yet she failed to protect herself still…

He looked around at the mess and was quite impressed with its state, there were two more gaps other than the door and he knew very well whom created them. There was also a big blood puddle, in there, was once the limb of the Jashinist that the kunoichi took the pleasure in ripping it off of him.

The core of the puppet was under a pile of rubble, but it looked like it was carefully placed there.

"Hn."

Itachi walked past the unconscious kunoichi and kicked off some of the rubble to better expose the core, then kneeled down. He reached with his hand to pick it up but as soon as he touched it a pang of chakra shot to him like electricity. He jolted quite controlled with a frown.

"Hn. It's me." He called out to the core.

He tried again and this time he managed to pick it up. He dusted the core and summoned a blank scroll and in a series of hand signs he sealed the core inside the scroll and dismissed it.

Itachi heard a soft pained moan behind him and he vaguely directed towards it.

The kunoichi whimpered as she regained consciousness and he saw how her frail body shook as she tried to prop herself.

She groaned and held her head and her nose began to bleed. Her eyes slowly opened under her lashes and her cheeks were slightly buffed with soft pink, the jades in her orbs showed brilliantly with faded tears.

Itachi frowned but his face held the same impassive expression as he watched her. He took some steps towards her and stopped just at her curled feet. Her legs crossed as she hid her exposed womanhood and boredly looked up at him. But she looked through him, eyes gazed past him like glass and he took in every inch of her scarred face. Then suddenly as if she were hit by something, she perked up to her surroundings, looking for something. She had a mixed look of anxiousness, panic and fear until her eyes fixed at the rubble where once the core was. She crawled past his feet not caring of her nakedness and reached the rubble where she vaguely searched for the object.

"It's not there" Itachi said in a deep voice, stopping her movements instantly.

"…" her shoulders tensed and he saw how her skin rose in goose bumps over her arms and shoulders.

Itachi stayed silent, he didn't had reason to explain himself to her, and then he saw her turn to him with the most menacing glare.

"You have it" it was a statement and she nearly growled.

And still he stayed silent with his stoic face. The silence, however, assured the answer.

"Give. It." She shakily stood up and wobbled a few steps towards him.

"It's safe."

"I don't trust your spit, Uchiha" She hissed.

"Hn."

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Sakura yelled at him and committed the mistake of grabbing the collar of his mesh shirt.

SLAP!

Itachi backhanded her straight across her face, the force shook her away from his shirt and she fell head first to the ground. Right then the Uchiha perceived Kisame's chakra spike up as in surprise and he glared at the direction but the shark tilted away his head knowingly.

Sakura leaned on all fours and clenched her jaws in anger and fisted her hands in the rubble underneath her.

Itachi wasn't impressed.

Sakura wanted to yell at him and curse him, she wanted to hit him and force him to give her the core, but she knew that she couldn't even lift a finger against him without getting butchered. She was lucky to get slapped only for the best and for the worst…well, he could get creative for her death.

She mentally cursed at him while she fought back the urge to cry though her eyes began to betray her as the familiar sting of collecting tears threatened to release. But all was cut short as she felt a large piece of fabric fell upon her, it was warm as if was worn and then she peeked under her pastel locks only to see a shirtless Uchiha walking away from her. She admired his build as the muscles rippled and flexed with each step he gave but didn't gap at it like a normal woman would do, her medic eyes took every inch of his body and was quite frightened to find out he wasn't even scarred. Every ninja should be scarred, no matter how good you are, you would always get hurt at some point causing the faintest of scars but he was clean, like polished porcelain.

…

Her lips pressed to a fine line. She kept studying him as he got farther and farther, towards the blue man through the gap and she saw his hand. It was wounded and quite fresh, telling her it was recent, and by the looks of it, it was self-inflicted. She frowned as he and the shark disappeared with no trace.

* * *

"Yeah, home sweet home!" cheered a happy Deidara with take-out ramen in his hand. But the atmosphere felt heavy and he instantly frowned.

_I can't sense the lynx…Sasori…_

Deidara's blue eyes widened at the realization and a pang of anger shot through him.

"Hidaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" He roared as he darted to the inside of base bringing hell behind him.

* * *

**There you have it! Also I would like to know what you guys think of Itachi and also to which character Sakura should stay with so I can develop some magic!**


	12. XI

**I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters :P**

* * *

"Yahiko. Get her to Nagato now. She's causing a major disturbance in the organization and if this keeps up we're going to lose the grip on them and it'll result into an all-out brawl."

Konan said to the orange haired Akatsuki.

"Konan, for the hundredth time, call me Pein" he said quite annoyed.

He sat at the edge of the highest balcony the base had. Watching like a hawk the behavior of the present Akatsuki through the newly made crack in the ceiling under him. His features hard and at the same time serene.

"And for the hundredth time Yahiko, I will not call you Pein, I refuse to. I am Konan, Yahiko, Konan. Your friend, ally and…lover. I will call you by your name as you call me by mine." She said as she caressed his jaw with her pale manicured hand and led his face to hers and smiled. The orange-haired Akatsuki sighed in defeat, how could he go against her? Surely it would seem odd to find out that the leader of the Akatsuki had a heartfelt piece within the organization and that piece was Konan. Who could've thought there would be romance in the most criminal group in all five nations? But then again the heart's beat is unpredictable. He loved her yes. As a friend, as a mother and as a lover. She understood him and she filled out the missing pieces, not only of his heart but in his daily life. She was her spare intellectual. She was his spare confidence. She was his spare heart.

His hand cupped her cheek and pulled her so their lips could meet. As always, it never failed to fill his chest. Her scent of lavender and mint held on to his senses like a mother's embrace. Their kiss was chaste but filled with mutual affection. Yahiko squeezed lightly her cheek as they separated, their eyes held onto each other for a while before she straighten up. Lavender on gold. Her rosy parted lips were as soft as silk and her hooded golden eyes reflected a tiny self of him and he liked that. He liked to be the only one in her eyes.

His mind drifted off to one of those special nights where she laid under him. Her dark blue hair fanning around her beautiful face like a halo, dampened with sweat where her skin met. Her eyes hooded and darkened with lust. Lips parted and swollen with past kisses and her cheeks buffed with a vibrant rose. Her peaked peachy mounds bounced each time he slid inside her. Their eyes never left each other as the heat rose between them. He loved the way her skin glowed with sweat and how her breathing became labored as she neared her climax, her nails dug on his arms that caged her under him as her walls began to wrap around his length. Their lips crashed and their pace quickened with the upcoming mutual bliss. Her moans sang in his ears a beg for release and he didn't disappoint her with the last powerful thrusts that had them both lost in ecstasy with rhythmic waves of pleasure where their bodies joined and spasm.

"She has to go, Yahiko. I'll help her now… I can't stand watching that bastard treating her like that, do something about him" said Konan while snapping him out of his steamy trip. His brows nearly crashed with each other.

Like he cared. He waved her off and she disappeared. Yahiko shook his head and chuckled.

"I'm getting soft"

And it was true. He even felt that Konan was more of a leader than him. His ass was getting lazy and he no longer saw the same intimidation he used to inflict when the organization started. Maybe he was letting slip things a bit too much. A smile crept up as a new resolution was born but for now he needed to patch the puppet's room. He would do it just because the puppet was tranquil and he was kind of fond of him though he didn't know why. He stood up from where he sat at the edge and leapt through the hole the kunoichi created at the ceiling, landing swiftly and quietly at the side of the knelt Konan. His lavender ringed eyes took in the form of both females, Konan stroked the pastel pink hair from her face and glided her pale fingers to caresses her dirty scarred face with such grace equal of a mother and whispered sweet nothings and words of encouragement to the kunoichi. Soon after Konan helped the kunoichi stand up and he stared at her frail half-naked body. He frowned not because of pity, he frowned because she reminded him of his dearest friend; Nagato.

"Stay with me tonight, Sakura" Konan said as she wrapped her cloak around her tiny body.

Compared to Sakura, Konan was tall and had a voluptuous body, every inch of her reeked of envy and the black spandex and mesh outfit hugged her illegal curves and pronounced her muscles as they flexed with each movement.

Yahiko –Pein- didn't quite like that idea. It only meant he would be sleeping alone tonight and he didn't liked that one bit.

Konan glanced back at him knowingly and she stared apologetic, his only reply was the closing of his eyes and even like that he felt her soft smile radiating a 'Thanks'.

He dismissed them and began to patch up the place with earth-style jutsu.

The girls headed towards the door, which fell backwards off its hinges at the ghosting of Konan's hand over the knob.

"…"

"…"

"Sorry?" Sakura said while she looked up at Konan.

"…"

"…"

Giggles left the girl's lungs and suddenly the gloomy atmosphere lifted with the soft feminine chimes.

"Sakura, let's have some girl time" Konan blurt out as they walked over the door to the corridors of base.

Sakura looked at her like a spider crept out of her mouth. Pink eyebrows raised and her mouth slightly hung in confusion.

"Excuse me?" Sakura blinked.

Konan laughed heartedly then sighed.

"You heard me; 'girl time'. Let's put on some make-up and wear yukata, style our hairs, wear perfume and such!" she nearly squealed in excitement.

Sakura was dumbfound. She did not expect this in the least. She had pictured Konan as a heartless criminal the first time she saw her and to think she was as fidgety as her friend Ino, she nearly cracked.

Then again, she thought the same about Deidara and Sasori which both turned out to be sort of sweet hearted.

"Come on! Sure we are ninja but we're also women!" Konan said as she wrapped an arm over her tiny shoulders.

"Ehhh…"

In truth Sakura wasn't one to worry about her appearance or ready herself after Sasuke left the village a long time ago, such things wasn't priority for her as the constant demand of training and self-improving was barking in her mind for a better self. But now that Konan was _kinda_ pressing her she began to hesitate.

_I don't know what to say to her…. What if I say no and she turns into a demon? Well that's exaggerating but I really just don't feel like it right now, heh, surely not after that freak raped me._

"Well?" Konan did the 'Puppy eye' move.

_Well shit. _

Truth be said that she had a soft spot for puppy eyes. Her best friend Ino often attacked her with those, resulting in her having her way with Sakura.

Sakura cursed mentally for that lone weakness but she promised that in the near future those attacks will be pointless.

She sighed in defeat, making her shoulders rise and drop quite dramatic.

"…okay" Sakura said it as quiet as possible.

"YES!" Konan squeaked and teleported both of them to her room and God save Sakura for what's about to come.

* * *

"Well, that's, that." Sighed a pleased Pein at his rework of Sasori's room.

"All that's left is my lil talk with Hidan" he dusted out his hands and turned around, heading to the now sturdy door when suddenly…

BOOM!

A large explosion erupted at the far wall of the newly constructed room. Chunks of rubble and dust blew through the outline of Pein, which had a stoic face.

.+.

"**Ouff!**" "Eek!" Zetsu was unluckily blended in that same wall that had just exploded and the entity was blown out across the room at incredible speed and both halves widen their eye as they were nearing the parallel wall nonstop.

"**F**u**c**k!" Both halves said in unison and managed just in time to blend with the wall instead of crashing and creating another hole.

"**Bastard**" "Yeah, bastard!" the entity rose from the floor and dusted themselves, though they did managed to blend into the wall, the force of the impact was stronger and they ended up being spit out at the other side of the wall and falling chest first onto the floor of the corridor.

Both mumbled some curses under their breaths and melted away down the floor.

.+.

A blonde haired Deidara came through the gap he just created with his explosive clay and stomped past the collecting rubble waving off the wild dust that lingered in the air.

"HEY YO PAIN! WHERE'S THAT DAMN FUCKER?! UN!" Deidara barked angrily once he saw Pein in the middle of the room, his cheeks red with blood rush from his angry fit.

Pein stood awkwardly still and silent and Deidara was getting impatient. He saw no Sakura, he saw no Sasori and most of all he saw no Hidan.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!"

He walked towards Pein that still had his back at him and once he was right on front of him he raised a brow at his expression.

Pein clenched his jaw and fisted his hands. He had his eyelids sealed shut and a vein sprouted at his temple. The blonde was now facing him and he felt his heat rising a few degrees making the center of his face beet red.

His fists trembled with the need to collide with Deidara's nose. To punch his nose into his brain.

"Hey yo, why so serious man? Un... where's Sakura and Sasori?" He gave a few more steps closer to him.

_Yes….that's it, a bit closer, a biiiiiit closer…. _Sang Pein mentally while he ignored whatever the blonde asked him.

"Pein!" Deidara furrowed his brows and waved a hand over Pein's face. "Are you listening to me?"

Step.

"Yo…."

Deidara was perfect. Perfectly placed for a perfect punch in his perfect face.

Pat.

That lone sound echoed through the room as Deidara placed his hand over Pein's shoulder for the lack of attention. Simple and soft but it triggered the beast inside Pein and off the ceiling went Deidara. In a blast.

"SHINRA TENSEI!"

"**Hehehe**" "Hihihi" Zetsu laughed off lazily at the form of Deidara flying past the shroud of genjutsu, cursing and questioning as he did.

"**Fool**." "Yeah, fool… un!" Black half frowned.

"**Lame**" "NOT!" White half pulled down his lid and controlled the tongue to stick it out.

"**LAME**!" Black half punched White half quite hard causing it to submit. "Aye! Lame!"

And they melted down from the ceiling.

* * *

In the end Deidara was left to rebuild Sasori's room…

"Jeez..."

The blonde Akatsuki wiped the moisture off his forehead. He had removed his cloak and forehead protector and any ninja gear he had for the cleaning and patching of the puppet's room. Knowing how maniac Sasori was with cleanliness, Deidara took the time to polish, dust, sweep and mop the room with the help of a creepy misassembled puppet that twitched every time it moved.

_Probably Sas is regaining some 'health' wherever he is… _Deidara mentally analyzed as he saw the creepy puppet ceding the aggressive twitching to a more normal movement.

The puppet ticked towards Deidara and gestured a bow of gratitude and hand signed a message.

A small circle over his chest.

"Core" said Deidara as he interpret its gesture and the puppet nodded.

"I.T. A.C.H.I." Deidara spelled each gesture. "Itachi? Soo the core is with Itachi?"

The puppet nodded once more.

"But are you okay un?"

And again nodded.

Deidara sighed.

"Man since when this place became so fucked up? Un…"

The puppet came over Deidara and extended its wooden fist, Deidara watched as the fist slowly opened to reveal a strand of pink hair and Deidara frowned.

"Yeah…-!- SHIT! THE RAMEN!" Deidara downed in realization and darted off the room, being careful not to tip over anything and went to the ramen he'd left at the fridge.

* * *

"Aye, Itachi, your tea." Kisame said as he placed the teacup carefully by the frame of the kitchen's window where the Uchiha sat lazily enjoying the golden sunset.

The tea's steam rose and danced gracefully with the still wind as it let out its sweet relaxing aroma. A purple manicured hand wrapped around the red teacup and was brought just by the tip of a fine nose.

"It's sweet." Said Itachi quite soft as he inhaled the tea's aroma.

"Aye, you like it sweet so I made it sweet" Kisame said as he pulled a dusty chair from the kitchen's table and placed it besides the frame where Itachi was and sat freestyle quietly.

"Still don't trust me eh?" Said Kisame as the cup was brought inches apart from his blue face and he chuckled.

"Only when you taste it" Itachi said not looking back at the Shark. His expression serene as he continued to watch the sunset with his red eyes. The tomoes on the sharingan played back and forth as if recording the scenery.

"Aish…" Kisame mumbled something under his breath as he took the cup from the Uchiha's grasp, being careful of not making contact, he wouldn't want to lose his fingers. He brought the tea to his blue lips and twisted his face in disgust as he tested out the tea.

"Eww…it's clean alright, ugh, and Itachi sweet. Yech!"

Out of nowhere he took out a white cloth and wiped the ring of the teacup before handling it to Itachi.

"That's torture y'know? You know how much I hate sweet stuff… you know it's clean, you saw me brewing it!"

Itachi didn't hide his smirk as he blindly took the cup, not breaking his gaze on the now disappearing sun. He took a sip and his red eyes widen then glared menacingly at the Shark while its tomoes spun.

"Thank you, thank you" Kisame gestured an exaggerated bow. "It's not easy being a brewing master" Kisame said jokingly. He was used to the out of place expressions of Itachi that he knew what meant most of them, but, he still had trouble interpreting some of them. In this case, his expression meant; 'good, delicious, A-ok, perfect'.

Suddenly Deidara skidded to a halt from the corridor into the kitchen.

"THE RAMEN!" He yelled out lungful.

Itachi wasn't surprised, he didn't even break his gaze from the now darkened view, but Kisame had the tip of Samehada pointed at Deidara's face and was off the dusty chair in a battle stance. It took the Shark barely a second to summon his sword and had it pointed at Deidara.

"Yo, what's your problem? Un" Said an arms up Deidara.

"Don't come in like that fool. The only one allowed to do stupid unpredictable shit around here is Tobi and that fool aint here aight?" said a grumpy Kisame.

"Alright, alright! There's a reason for that!" Deidara waved off Kisame as he ducked under the large sword Samehada past the Shark and onto the fridge.

"Hooo and that would be?" Kisame cocked his head in curiosity as Deidara opened the fridge and sighed in relief. Samehada dismissed.

"Ramen dough, pre-made broth, chopped veggies and some pork" mumbled a dismissive Deidara but Kisame towered over the blonde darkly, eyes glowing red and his chakra off-radius.

"Oh really? Is it for me eh? I knew it was for me~" cooed creepily a salivating Kisame.

"Shut up man! Un."

Deidara covered the shark's face with his palm and pushed him away. His hand mouths were concealed with a sealing jutsu, luckily because once his hand blindly came in contact with the shark's face it was glossed with his drool.

"Eww man that's gross!" Deidara jumped back and stared in horror at his salivated palm. He instantly had goose bumps and he ran to the kitchen sink. To his horror the water came out dark and fowl-smelling from the lack of use and it was filled with sediment, small particles and larvae.

"OH GOD!" the blonde pinched his nose with his clean hand and stumbled back with his drooled hand in the air. Kisame was laughing like a wild pig and Itachi was nowhere in sight, not even his teacup.

"I swear I can see the smell! What the hell is wrong with this kitchen un?!" Deidara was teary and turned a different shade.

Kisame roared and fell backwards grasping his sides. "You're such a baby yah!"

"Oi! Cut it out yeah!" Deidara gritted his teeth and stomped on Kisame angrily but that didn't stop the Shark from laughing.

"This is all your fault yeah!"

Kisame sobered and stood up while Deidara kept at it waving his slimy hand and spewing nonsense, so the shark grabbed his gooey hand and dumped it in the filthy water.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Deidara felt like his hand was dipped in acid he tried to break from Kisame's grasp but the shark had him glued in place.

"Will you stay still?" said the shark as he bumped his knuckles over the blonde's head.

"LIKE HELL ASSHOLE! AND THAT HURT!"

Deidara was literally moonwalking as he kept on trying for freedom but Kisame did not budge a single inch.

"Hold still Barbie! Water's clearing ya fool"

"WHO YOU CALLING BARBIE?! DAMN SUSHI! LET ME GO THEN!"

Kisame did let go of him and since Deidara was pulling back he fell backwards, butt-first, to the floor making yet again Kisame laugh his lungs out.

Itachi was back at the window frame once the smell was gone and the two other Akatsuki settled down.

.+.

"Alright…" the blonde said as he contemplated the dusty and cobwebbed stove. "…how does this operate? Un."

"Heh. Beats me." Kisame retorted.

"But you brewed Itachi's tea, you must know?"

"I don't use that thing. I brew it with jutsu." Kisame admitted.

"Well what do you know….hey I know! un"

The blonde snapped his fingers and looked over at Kisame which gave him the coldest stare in the universe.

"I'm not doing it"

"WHY NOT?!"

"I only do that because it's for Itachi." Nothing more was needed to be said.

"Aa. Yeah…that sucks un…"

An awkward silence rose.

"I'm not teaching you either"

"FUCK YOU!"

Deidara flipped him off and stuck his tongue out at the shark and mumbled something about being a slave for Itachi as he made his way cleaning the dirty stove.

_What the hell…I don't even know how to turn this thing on! How am I supposed to cook the ramen? No one here knows how to cook, not even Konan…KONAN, a girl! What if I burn it….damn it!_

Deidara sighed in defeat and returned the ingredients into the empty fridge (luckily it was clean and it only had a water basin) then slopped down a dusty chair right in front of the stove.

"On." He instructed the stove while he stared at it defeated.

"What the hell you're doing blondie?" asked a confused Kisame from the previous spot he was, besides the Uchiha at the window frame.

"What does it look like? Un. I'm trying to make it work"

Itachi chuckled at that and shook his head sideways, his eyes fixed at two foxes scurrying in the dark woods for food. Both foxes noses trailed the ground for wild berries, mice scent or any other thing good enough for their appetite. Once they picked up a scent they fastened their pace in unison and began the hunt disappearing through the thick woods. Only then did the Uchiha gave his full attention to the other Akatsuki.

"You really are stupid eh? That thing doesn't work like that, fool." Chuckled Kisame and face-palmed.

"Then enlighten me dork!"

"Nah. You eat something else, why the hell you want ramen so badly?" Kisame waved off the frustrated blonde.

"Che. It's not that I want ramen…it's for Sakura…" he trailed off softly and folded his arms over his chest and looked down while he crossed his legs in his seated form.

Kisame raised an eyebrow and had a weird grin plastered in his blue face.

"Hoooo. Do I smell something?" Kisame cooed and inched towards the blonde with his chair.

"S-shut up yeah!" he turned his head away and mumbled something about just liking her.

_What's his problem, I mean, sure I like her but he doesn't have to stick his nose into it sheesh…._

"HAHAHAHA the blonde's in love!" roared Kisame and Deidara groaned. The shark brutally draped an arm over Deidara's shoulders, making him bend over with the Shark's weight and struggle for air.

"YO! YOU AINT LIGHT YEAH! AND GET OFF ME!" Deidara fought with Kisame trying to squirm his way out of his heavy arm, punching as he did but it did little to tickle the blue humanoid.

"Awwe look at the Barbie with the pink chakra of love" He teased and grind his blue knuckles over Deidara's head ignoring the shouting and feeble punches he was being thrown at. "Oi you shouldn't be grumpy if you're in love, try to laugh, to laugh!" he laughed out and finally he let go of the raging Deidara yet again ignoring his outrage and while so dodging a few kitchen utensils.

"I should just blow your blue ass Kisame!" Shouted Deidara but stood confused as Kisame roared in laughter and fell backwards with the dusty chair, destroying it under his weight, the blue humanoid kicked and lolled sideways grasping his sides while he cried of laughter. He glanced at Itachi, which was now sitting in the upper frame of the window hanging like a bat with his legs crossed, Itachi looked back at the blonde with his 'die now' stare and folded his arms over his chest and closed his lids in an annoyed gesture.

"It sounded wrong." Itachi said coolly.

[Roar of laugher]

"Huh? How so?"

[Kisame chokes]

"Blow his ass?"

There was a silence between Deidara and Itachi while Kisame passed out with a hard laugh, their stare elongated with the registry of Deidara's slow mind.

Deidara gagged and crossed his arms forming and 'X' on front of him and shook his head nervously.

"I-I didn't mean it that way y-yeah! NO WAY!"

Deidara sweat dropped and groaned fisting his hair and curling into a ball by the feet of the unconscious Kisame, drowning into oblivion.

"Now that bastard won't leave me alone for the rest of the days of Akatsukiiiiiii" squeaked Deidara nervously.

"I'll kill him now before he wakes up and ruins me!" Deidara whined as he attempted to strangle the Shark.

"Fool"

Itachi felt Sasori's string of chakra humming from the scroll he had hidden under his garments, he felt an unusual chuckle followed by a sigh, and it wasn't his. He had to admit it felt weird to be connected to someone else's feelings, but it was momentary until the puppet gained enough strength. Channeling his chakra to the scroll was his only way of communication and Itachi didn't mind it.

Closing his eyes Itachi traveled to Sasori's core once he connected their chakras.

A naked Itachi and child Sasori stood in the vast white dimension.

"Hello, Itachi" Said the child Sasori. The dimension echoed softly his voice vibration.

"Sasori"

The Uchiha stared down at the smaller version of the Sasori he knew. His lips pressed to a firm line and his eyes where charcoal black. The dimension showed your true nature, no human made items or body alterations were reflected at the dimension. Not even his slight blindness. Which impressed him. Due to the extensive usage of the sharingan Itachi began to suffer its consequences which meant staged blindness, meaning that the blindness was more or less severe depending of its usage, and slight disturbances in behavior as the sharingan tore his mental sanity little by little with each illusion he casts. Every Uchiha suffered of this, meaning that no matter how mentally stable you were, the sharingan always had its way to worm into your sanity because after all, you witnessed the victim's worst nightmare.

Long dark onyx hair rested free under his pale shoulders, his bangs fell forward silkily with the absence of his forehead protector, even his ANBU tattoo disappeared and his nails weren't manicured. He stood there with full naked grace without a pinch of embarrassment, he still held his stoic expression though.

"So you're really like this huh…" contemplated a child Sasori.

"…"

"Doesn't matter, what are you here for?"

There was a moment of silence before Itachi answered back and the dimension echoed his voice.

"Deidara"

"Not yet. He knows you have me. Let me stay with you, I don't doubt of his protection but he's distracted…"

"Hn"

"…and he's a fool."

"Hn"

"Prone to trouble…"

"Hn"

"…and in love."

Itachi stood silent at that statement and something inside of him twisted in annoyance and he didn't like that feeling. He liked to be in control of his emotions and involuntary swings he did not welcome. He didn't even know why he had reacted that way. All in all he didn't liked it. Certain feelings were weakness and he knew that weakness was not an option.

Sasori blinked waiting for Itachi.

"Fine"

"A week"

"…." Itachi glared down at the child Sasori with full will.

Both of them began a staring-glaring contest. Itachi didn't like the idea of babysitting another member of the Akatsuki even if it was only to carry him around, but since both of them were connected he didn't like the idea of staying a week like this. Or what consequences it might bring him with their connected feelings. A puppet…with feelings…

"Itachi. A week." Sasori insisted and he caught the slight annoyance in the Uchiha but didn't pay attention to it. He stared thoroughly like a hawk on prey with his red glossy doll eyes.

"Hn"

Itachi disappeared in a wisp leaving a smirking Sasori behind.

* * *

"Hey!"

Itachi glared at the blonde once he came back from the connection. He didn't know why the blonde had that tone with him and he surely wanted to stir fry him with his gaze and apparently the blonde dismissed on strangling Kisame. He immediately caught the stiffness of the blonde as he directed his glare at him. His eyes were back to his usual blurriness and he collectively adjusted his vision without the blonde noticing.

"H-hey uhh… are you listening to me?"

_Damn glowing red eyes… and what the fuck are those shit spots doing spinning like gals on a festival night?_

"What." It was more of a statement than a question. Making conversations with some other than Kisame he also didn't like.

"I said; 'can you cook?'"

The blonde asked him with his arms folded. He stood next to the fridge, tapping his foot rhythmically in a slow pace, his face flushed red with embarrassment.

"…."

Itachi knew how to cook but only simple stuff and also for himself. He wasn't about to cook for someone else just because he was asked to. He had Kisame for that.

"Well I'll take your silence as a yes, un"

Deidara dropped his arms and turned to open the fridge, yet again taking out the broth, noodles, veggies and meat. Once he got them out he placed them over the dusty table. Deidara mumbled a complain about how dusty and dirty this place was. He yet again put away the ingredients and ghosted his hands over the dusty table, calculating on how he should proceed to clean up.

Itachi saw how the blonde mystically picked up a rag from the sink with his thumb and index finger and fought to clean it under the clear stream of the mucky sink, his pale face twisted in disgust every now and then as his skin rose in bumps. He gagged and leaned back with his face away and his eyes shut, working blindly to clean the rag. Once clean, the blonde began to wipe the table and whatever else he could as fast as he could. Itachi raised a fine eyebrow and his frown deepened another level. His low pony tail hung over his head and so did his clothes, barely showing belly skin, as he sat upside down in the window frame. The blonde walked towards him when he finished cleaning up and stopped a feet away, he clapped his hands on front of him, as if praying, and had his eyes sealed shut and Itachi's glare intensified at the blonde's gesture.

"Pleaseteachmehowtocook!"

It took a rare time for the prodigy to process the sentence, he had said it so fast that it was almost non-understandable.

The blonde stood still in place with the gesture, blindly waiting for an answer.

"No"

"AWE COME OOOOOON!"

Deidara threw his hands in the air and kicked the broken pieces of the chair that was around the unconscious Kisame.

"Or just tell me how to do it from there, you don't have to move yeah!"

At the end it sounded like a plead, but then, he pleaded with his huge blue orbs at the Uchiha.

"Please, yeah, I'll give you some…"

"Fine"

"Eh?"

Clearly caught off guard, Deidara stood with a poker face, he froze his wild gestures and let his arms flop to his sides.

_Well…that was easy? _Mused Deidara quite confused.

"Eehh okaaayy…well how do you-"

"-get out."

"but…"

"out."

With a sigh the blonde Akatsuki popped out of the kitchen disappointedly and was left to wonder what the Uchiha was about to do at the kitchen.

_Well… at least I'll get it done for her…I think…_

And he tucked his hands on his trouser pockets and walked down the hallway.

.+.

Yellow pupil-less eyes peeked through one of the walls of the kitchen. Zetsu. Curiosity got the best of the entity and it watched concealed within the wall at the Uchiha prodigy. Itachi still hung from the upper window frame with his arms crossed over his chest and lids closed. Zetsu didn't broke eye contact from the Uchiha but knew something wasn't right and that's when it rang.

"**Genjutsu-urgh!**" "Scared-eep!"

Between the eyes they had a kunai impaled, luckily they backed away just in time so it was stuck up in the stone wall and not into their brain.

The shadow clone of Itachi evaporated from the window frame and the real body of Itachi appeared just by the side of the kunai and unstuck it glaring at the entity that was concealed within the wall. He then stabbed the kunai in the same spot with such force that it reached the entity's forehead managing to blot out a drop of yellow blood.

"**Bye**" "adieus"

The halves said without hesitation, understanding the unspoken message and left leaving no trail of existence.

A long sigh escaped the Uchiha's lungs before show down.

"Now… let's cook"

* * *

**AU: _So sorry yet again for the latest update in history! I've had this chapter done in WEEKS but unfortunately I've got no internet. I'm also sorry for rushing out the end and this kind of monotonous chapter, please review and keep on reading :D! Thank you!_**

**_-r1kuz_**


	13. XII

**A/N: Sorry for late update! :( I hope you still read my story .! ack! I want to let you readers know that I'll never give up the story no matter how long it takes me to update D:! I want to finish it and so on and please review for motivation! -bows- I'll leave you this chapter here vvvvv Enjoy!**

**BTW nope. I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters!**

* * *

"Done!" Cheered an excited Konan as she placed the last of the flower hair garments in the pastel pink hair of the now too embarrassed Sakura._ I'm never leaving these walls!_

Sakura felt weird. For starters; Konan's weird and almost creepy behavior. Her drastic makeover. Her too tight yukata with uncomfortable wooden shoes and the over powerful perfume that blinded her senses with its scent.

Though Sakura actually liked the scent of pink carnation and lilies, it was way too overboard. Just a hint might be okay. She tried to smile but just then Konan snapped her fingers and reflected the brightest smile she's ever seen on her.

_I don't like whatever she's going to say next…_

"I know!" Konan said as her manicured hand hovered at her fixed hair, looking for any stray pink strands and tidying the already neat hairstyle over again. A traditional bun. Golden eyes concentrated. "Let's pierce your ears!"

_Oh dear… why did I somehow knew this? Oh yes… because she's been nudging my lobes for a while now…_

It couldn't be missed. Konan was a beautiful woman with a liking to piercings. She, herself, had a silver larbet in the center of her lower lip and her ears had rows of black studs and god knows where else she had more. She mainly brought up the subject because Sakura's earlobes weren't pierced yet but Sakura wouldn't get them pierced no matter how much she wanted to.

Sakura couldn't pierce them yet and she had a good reason not to.

"I can't pierce them sorry"

Konan shot a confused look at Sakura and wondered why she couldn't, I mean, she was a girl right? And it was kind of natural for girls have pierced ears to look more feminine by social standards and so curiosity shot up.

Watching her expression Sakura's ears turned red in embarrassment but held a firm face.

"It's a tradition we hold back at Konoha. Pierced ears work like engagement rings…" she faintly said at the end.

At that Konan's brows shot up but nodded understanding. She stared at Sakura encouraging her to tell more.

"U-umm once a girl or a boy find that special someone and have gone to the process of parent approval and then dating, the couple undergo in a trial of taking design classes so they could ultimately design their earring, once that's done they go to the local church to receive blessings with both families present and their white gems are given by the priest. White for engagement…"

Sakura looked up nervously and obviously embarrassed at Konan which was paying her full attention with no trace of being bored so she continued comfortably. She didn't want to build an awkward situation between them right now.

"When the couple receive their gems, comes the process of making the earring, that is, one for each. There is a specialized smith for that in our village, Kanon, he's an old man that has dedicated almost his entire life in doing such fineries. He has an apprentice, an orphan boy named Takei with remarkable skills. Both smith and apprentice work in turns carving into metal with precise detail with given design and engrave the white gems and polish. Then each earring are given in a sealed white box and another reunion between families is made for witnessing the piercing event…"

And again Sakura searched into Konan which still held interest in her features.

"Go on" she said coolly.

With a nervous chuckle Sakura nodded and continued explaining.

"A-and the couple open the seal in unison and infuse their chakra into the white gem giving it life with the translucent color of their chakra but the gem stays white-"

"-excuse me but doesn't that give you away if you're in outside missions?" Konan asked frowning thinking of it as a disadvantage.

"Oh not at all! The gems are special. They keep the chakra hidden. It's like nothing is there."

"I see… you may continue my apologies for interrupting you"

"O-ok and no worries… then the girl pierces the boy with the earring containing his chakra and the boy to the girl with hers in their left earlobe and the ceremony is complete, heh, oh and once pierced it can't never be taken out…unless you cut your ear or divorce."

"Sounds like you're not finished…what about marriage?" she asked as she took a seat in one of her room's arm chair and encouraged Sakura to seat in the other in which she did.

"Oh that's a different story" she said as she smoothed her yukata with her hands.

"I'm listening, water?" she offered some room temperature water she had in a glass dispenser between the two chairs. It sat over a wooden square table that had four tall glass cups upside down and paper origami for ornaments that shaped flowers and birds.

"Yes, please" Sakura thanked her as she took the filled glass and sipped some before continuing, though it was room temperature it downed pretty cool in her throat.

"For marriage the process its simple they go into altar and a unison jutsu is performed. It's a simple jutsu actually, it only takes a faint amount of chakra and concentrates in the thumb and pointer finger where the boy and girl touch their partner's earrings and infuse their chakra, blending both their chakra into the white gem while saying their vows. Eventually the gem will turn into a unique color as both chakra combine and leaving off the white. Color for marriage."

"Oh so it's only one earring?" Said Konan as she placed down her half empty glass over the table.

"No, once they have child, the other earring is pierced in the right lobe with its unique design and another jutsu is performed to infuse the child's chakra into it. The gem is clear. Even if it were to have a stillborn or an abortion they're given a dead gem. Black in color."

"And if they have another child that lives? What about brothers?" she waited as Sakura finished her glass of water and took the empty glass she handed back with a thanks and put it away.

"Result is the same, they infuse the chakra into the same gem. With the dead gem the black color rings into the life that will be on the center. Also whenever someone dies the earring shuts down its chakra turning the gem black. Black for widow if on left, black for a lost child on right."

"Wow….Konoha sure takes earrings seriously don't they? I never would've thought earrings could be used in such ways"

"heh, yeah way too much and me either, oh and the earrings snaps out if a divorce is performed which can only be done by the high priest or a council personnel and the right earring stays if they had child"

"I see… it's a shame though. They would've look good on you, honestly."

Sakura blushed and thanked her. She took her earlobes between her fingers and massaged them briefly and then came that pang of jealousy she often felt whenever she saw all those happy girls in Konoha that proudly showed them off with a styled do up. Thinking about it made her sigh heavy and slowly drop her hands to her sides and dropped her head frowning. Sinking into oblivion and beyond.

"What's wrong?" Konan asked concerned as she watched the actions of Sakura. A gloomy veil showered over her and her eyes suddenly had the deepest shadow under them. She looked terrifying…

"I-it's nothing really it's just…" she sighed and shook her head "…I-I uh…well…" she sighed again not finding words to describe. "I…don't think I might get them pierced…ever…" and there came her crashing frown and gloomy evil spirits haunted her figure. "I mean… I think I fell in love with the wrong person and since he never did once glanced towards me and that demon crushed whatever chance I had left" she spat with shaking anger as she referred to a certain silver haired man. Her gloomy veil burned and snaked around her with menace.

"You mean Hidan?" Konan sweat dropped.

"Yes. He took my purity and ruined my face…"

Konan could actually see the blizzard that washed over Sakura hitting her with large chunks of snow that piled atop her head and side. Heavy feels…

The taller woman lifted her chin with a single fine finger and met her jade orbs with her golden ones and Sakura's eyes screeched with the sting of invisible tears.

"You know?… you are beautiful" Konan nodded. "But if he only sees you for your appearance rather than what's on the inside, he's not worth it, the body perishes over time but never what's on the inside though our feelings change and personality may harden or soften you're still you and you must be proud of who you are"

Sakura's heart skipped a beat and accelerated, she was processing the raw truth that she knew very well… but still.

"You're right and I've repeated that same thing over and over but the worry of my looks always came in first and I even acted a way that I couldn't recognize the girl I was but I was willing to do so just to have his attention. I just wanted him and I was blind to my surroundings, I only saw him and I did so many things to draw his attention but it only served me to push him away, I –ugh- I let my hair grow because I heard he liked girls with said trait but to be honest I never fancied long hair. I even held the highest grade scores in the academy over him, mistreated a friend of mine and rivaled my best friend and so much more that I'm not pretty proud of it myself but I gained nothing in the end no matter how hard I tried which led me to frustration and loss of confidence in myself and when he left Konoha…. That confirmed it. I was nothing to him." _I learned the hard way…_

"The little Uchiha" Konan knew of him, the news of the last Uchiha from Konoha had gone missing spread like a plague over the five nations and also the knowledge Itachi provided and when they were to capture the Kyuubi she learnt that the Uchiha also was in the same team with Sakura. _That's some team_. She thought, the village's Kyuubi, the village's last Uchiha and the village's next greatest medic and absolute strength. The three combined could send shivers down the spine on anyone and they could easily mock the present Sannin if they were to work as a team.

"Yes…" Sakura said sadly as another wave of blizzard hit her across the face and went to rub her itchy eyes but Konan stopped her grabbing her wrist from where she sat.

"Don't. You'll ruin your makeup..."

Yes, she wore makeup, fixed by Konan herself. A natural look with shimmery pink and gold eye shadow and fine black liner that winged at the edge of her almond shaped eyes. Buffed peach blush that accentuated her pink glossy lips and false lashes just by the corner of her eyes. Her pink brows plucked and cleaned and rhinestones here and there over her sharp cheekbones.

"Oh! Right…sorry I'm just not used to it, sorry…" Sakura said as she immediately dropped her arm as soon as Konan released it and returned to her comfortable seated form.

"It's ok I understand" Konan flashed her a smile that wrinkled the edges of her eyes.

"I want to heal my scars…" Changing the subject. Sakura mumbled so low that had Konan excusing herself. She stood up from the armchair and shifted back as she pressed two fingers over the rough skin in her face, there were no more stitches since Kakuzu's chakra dissolved once the skin healed enough.

"What? What was it that you said?" she placed a hand over the bony shoulder once she stood up to gain her attention as she tilted her head.

"I… want to heal my scars" Sakura told her with a more secure tone and looked at her golden eyes frowning. Her expression solid while she rubbed the bumps in her face.

Seeing as Sakura sunk into oblivion with the feel of her scars Konan frowned too.

"Oh" Konan squeezed her shoulder in sympathy "do so, its ok to heal them, why don't you?"

She knew that every woman's treasure was her face and as Sakura began to cover her face with uneven bangs she took her wrist with her free hand to stop what she was doing. It somehow filled her insides with a wave of irritation.

"No."

Jade eyes widen as they locked on golden and her startled expression turned into confusion fast.

"But I'm hideous" were the only words that Sakura could mutter.

"No. You're beautiful with them too, besides, you said you wanted to heal them"

Sakura stopped pulling out hair to cover her face and sighed deeply as Konan released her arm. She thought about the next words with a long pause, her shimmered lids were almost closed as she lowered her face and gaze to the wooden floor, not knowing of how she should talk about of what would come next she hesitantly blurted what was on her mind at the moment.

"I can heal them but…"

Sakura cut her sentence by chewing her lips and looking away.

"But you're low on chakra" konan finished for her and she got a nod for a response. She knew how low Sakura was once she came in contact with her shoulder and was surprised she was still standing but heck, she knew how well her chakra control was that kept her standing with a near-collapsing amount.

Two hands rested at her shoulders from behind as Konan appeared faster than the blink of an eye and began pouring her chakra into her small body.

"What are you-"

"Heal them. I'll give you some of my chakra, I can sense your distress and I understand. I were too if that happened to me, even worse I must say because I'm not a healer and besides it's not a harmful action"

"But..."

"Just heal them Sakura"

It sounded like an order to her ears thought she knew it wasn't one and obliged. Her delicate frail fingers began glowing light green with her medical chakra, she hovered them where the scars left their marks and slowly but perfectly began to disappear, leaving a smooth new celled face. Rosy at first but melted into her natural skin tone in seconds.

"Done" Sakura whispered and peeked over her shoulder at the taller female. Konan smiled at her and dropped her hands off the bony shoulders to her sides.

It had only taken her ten minutes but the amount of chakra she pulled out from Konan was heavy but not exhausting, after all, the scars had been days old and only skilled medics could pull out a perfect heal.

"You look perfect Sakura, it's amazing…now let me fix your hair and makeup again because we're going out. And by the way I got some scars I'd like you to erase for me…"

She chuckled and winked at a lost Sakura which in turn smiled and nodded once.

_They're just scars…_ She thought. _I'm not betraying my village for smoothing out some skin… and where are we going?_

* * *

Pacing back and forth inside his room, Deidara lost patience. He was about to chew his nails to the flesh before the delicious smell of pork broth and noodles invaded his nostrils. Deciding it was time to head back to the kitchen the blonde went out of his room and into the corridor and once he was near the Kitchen's entrance he hesitated.

"Hey yo…umm…can I come in, yeah?"

_Pathetic. _

Deidara thought for himself for actually asking permission at the Uchiha. If he even was there. But he valued his life at the moment since the man was a mental wreck and also because he wanted the ramen delivered to Sakura before it softened up.

"Come"

Was the only permission given with a calm and cool tone. To his trained ears it sounded like the Uchiha was at the corner of the kitchen where the end of the now clean table was. And he was right.

"Whohohoaaa… you really got into this man, yeah"

Deidara was impressed with what he'd seen, a steamy bowl of ramen set upon the table with the looks and quality of that of a restaurant, beef thinly sliced and cooked just right, vegetables finely chopped and a few extra ingredients that Deidara was sure he didn't have but were there anyways and the noodles looked just right and man did he had his mouth watering right now. Not only how it looked but also how it smelled, beefy and rich.

"Did you get some?"

"Aa."

"Oh…cool"

"…"

"…"

The awkward silence between two ninjas whom didn't quite had the likes for each other was dizzying, the kitchen stood silent until the faint footsteps of the blonde took motion towards the table and around it until he reached the other Akatsuki member.

"I'll bring Sakura over"

Itachi looked up to the blonde and raised a brow wondering why did he went over him just to tell him that. Itachi finally nodded and took some chopsticks out of nowhere and Deidara had to blink twice to confirm he had a ramen bowl already in his hands.

Feeling awkward again Deidara spun around and just when he was about to leave the kitchen space he snapped his fingers and turned midway but the Uchiha cut him off before he could say anything.

"I'll keep an eye…two eyes on it. You have five minutes before it bloats"

And the blonde closed his mouth and nodded.

"Right" he pointed out to the Uchiha and took off again. "Thanks yo" faintly said but captured clearly in the trained ears of Itachi.

"Hn."

-Slurp-

.+.

Sakura walked silently besides the now heavily silenced Konan, she did this whenever she was about the corridors of base or near the presence of other Akatsuki members and frankly she didn't like this Konan. She was too quiet, like a predator. The echo of Sakura's uneven footing bounced in the hallway loudly to shinobi ears but it was understandable. She wasn't used to high and uncomfortable wood heels and no matter how much she tried to ghost her steps it always made noise. Her brows knitted and she scowled under her breath for each booming step as she slowed her pace in an attempt to control the noise but she bumped head first into Konan's side.

"Ouff!"

Sakura looked up hesitantly and took in a sharp breath and held it as her eyes fixed into the gold of the other.

Silence was long and Sakura was lost of words and suddenly became nervous. She lowered her head and her pastel bangs covered and darkened her face.

"Don't be sorry Sakura, compared to me…you can actually walk"

Faint but jolly a chuckle escaped Konan's lips and she continued onwards and Sakura followed with her eyes glued to the floor.

Just then, by the end of the hallway, Deidara was taking a turn from where the kitchen was. His sapphire eyes widen and lifted in relief for he had found whatever he was looking for far shorter than he had anticipated. His eyes were focused on the girl's pastel pink hair but failed to notice the way she was fixed but saw the yukata and rapidly looked at Konan for answers.

"What's the occasion, yeah?" Sapphire orbs played back and forth between the two girls curiously.

Konan snapped a glare defensively which made Deidara flinch questionably.

"We're also girls and mind it"

"Aight, calm down, yeah" palms up for Deidara in surrender.

"For god's sake drop Kisame's accent" golden eyes rolled and a heavy sigh was heard.

"I don't have the fish's accent, yeah" his voice slightly raised in denial.

"You do. Now move."

Sakura turned the size of a pea while they exchanged their brief talk. She was dying of embarrassment of how she looked right now little did she knew she looked stunning and remarkably beautiful. Delicate, like her namesake.

"Fine. But I need a minute with Sakura, yeah"

That said, made Sakura's head snap up, wide jade orbs in question and Deidara now had a full view of her fixed face.

_Wow…_

It took all of his willpower to keep his mouth from hanging but his eyes widened to the size of saucers when he took the full view of her now scar less face and cosmetically sharpened features. Instantly he knew this was Konan's doing and he had to hand it to her for Sakura shone like no other blast he'd ever detonated in his shinobi life, though she was equally beautiful with no makeup, he took in the colors that made her glow. Pink and gold. A perfect match. His hand itched to move a stray bang from her forehead so he could have a better look at her but suddenly he caught both gold and jade eyes staring at him like he'd lost the ability to talk. Which he did momentary.

"Ga-gah I uh yeah" he nodded and mentally cursed for how stupid he sounded "I need to speak with you" he said more firmly as he turned his full attention to Sakura. "Don't worry it's nothing harmful, yeah"

Konan sighed and instantly disappeared in a flock of origami butterflies, leaving both of them behind.

"Hey…uh I-uh brought you the ramen…." Instantly his head dropped and his frown dug equal holes in the ground.

He immediately thought of what happened while he was away and cursed himself over and over for being away. He rose his head and dragged a hand across his face avoiding her eyes, he was nervous and it made him fist his hair just by the back of his head while his free hand rested on his hipbone as he kicked an invisible rock.

Sakura took in every single detail of his nervous fit. She knew why he acted like that but she held no hard feelings and overall she thought of his actions kinda cute.

_Calling an Akatsuki, s-class criminal, cute….yep I'm officially insane. _

Though she couldn't find a proper expression for the situation she held a half stoic and half impressed features until the corners of her mouth drew up into a faint glossy smile.

"Thanks"

She finally said and succeeded in calming the blonde. His shoulders dropped relaxingly and he nodded once.

"Yeah"

Feeling both awkward, Sakura brushed and tucked a stray pastel bang that hung out of place in her forehead. Her peachy cheeks began to glow in embarrassment and her green manicured hand played with the hem of her yukata but her face betrayed everything with a frown.

"Umm do you want to eat it now? It's already done…..and uhh it has less than five minutes before it uhhh…bloats"

She looked up at him and her face dropped into chaos and Deidara tensed surprised at her expression. She didn't like bloated ramen, its texture was horrible and slippery, like worms. Her hairs rose in both her skinny arms up to the back of her neck.

"It's in the kitchen right?" she suddenly said with sharp features.

"Huh…oh! Y-yeah?" more of a question as he was suddenly confused and it deepened as she dashed past him with the wooden heels in her hand. She looked almost funny because the yukata restricted her movements but she managed to turn by the end of the hallway without tripping. It was serious business a bloated ramen.

"….ok" he finally said as he tilted his head and sighed with a small smile. "I guess she really likes ramen" he chuckled and tucked his hands in his pockets but then tensed like something had hit him hard in the head.

"Crap…the wacko's in there"

* * *

"Hidan"

A deep voice rumbled across the Jashinist's room.

Dark wine and black walls with white religious symbols etched held a heavy presence in the atmosphere. Numerous candles the colors of white, black and burgundy where lit up as the only source of light in the room. A few moans of pain and agony came from a dirty cell in the corner of the room where four naked women were held captive by the religious man and by the looks of it, they were there for a few days maybe a week or so. Probably the next sacrifice victims for the lunatic's 'god'. Skeletal bones hung from the ceiling and a huge ritual symbol, drawn with dried blood, was in the center of the room. A circle with an inverted triangle in the middle and in the center of the symbol laid Hidan face up, shirtless and awake with his scythe lying by his side.

"SHUT UP BITCHES!"

He roared annoyed as he threw his scythe at the cell, cutting one of the women in the hand that grasped a cell bar. She squealed in pain as the others cried and whimpered inching back with the injured one to the farthest corner of the cell. They silently cried and sobbed afraid of the man whom held them captive and of their destiny.

"HIDAN."

The voice turned heavy as it accentuated the Jashinist's name and it managed to attain his attention.

"WHAT. LORD. PEIN?."

All the will in the universe for patience instead of shinra tensei the fucker off the world.

"A word. With you. Now."

Pein's chakra escalated murderously across the room and the women became more nervous as their cries and squeals intensified, selling them as shinobi for their perception of chakra.

"Fine"

Hidan sat Indian-style just where he laid moments ago and crossed his arms like a little spoiled kid feigning attention.

"I gave you a mission to retrieve the girl-"

"-and I did." He interrupted him but Pein bid no care…for now.

"Yes and that concludes your mission. You could do whatever you pleased with her as long as she wasn't killed or rendered useless _while_ on mission"

"I did that too"

"But once you reported to me your mission was over"

"And?"

"You were not to go near her until she served her purpose here."

"Che. Nobody told me that"

"True. But you're not stupid…_are you_?"

A tick in the jashinist jaw and his brows crashed as he glared at Pein. For something, he didn't liked to be called stupid even if he was doing something stupid.

"I'm not"

"You're acting like one then."

Hidan scoffed and stood up resting his hands over his hips.

"Am I? Jeez"

"Think about it. Causing an uproar in base. Not only dirtying the girl in the presence of other members but almost wiping a vital member of the organization-"

"-he's not dead?"

"…No. He's not." Pein said a little annoyed as he was cut off a second time.

"Damn"

Worry was visible in the jashinist face but it lasted like a wisp then his cocky face lit up as if nothing.

"As I was saying. Your actions will not be tolerated and since I need you I won't dismember and seal you right here and now but if you keep it up…anyone can be replaced Hidan. Even you."

Hidan glared laser beams at his leader and chuckled.

"Yeah whatever, you done motherfucker?"

"Yes."

And he disappeared from the over-religious room.

Hidan chuckled and directed towards the dirty cell where he kept his four female captives. He knelt to pick up his scythe and sighed. His face twisted in a lunatic way as he slashed his weapon across the bars of the cage creating an opening.

"Alright bitches. Lord Jashin spoke to me a while back and he demanded sacrifice, lucky girls!"

The quads stared in horror as the silver haired man ducked inside the filthy cell his scythe slid over their flesh in one swing and their blood mixed and collected by the tip of the weapon.

"Let this holy ceremony begin" were the last words of Hidan as he licked the thick dark liquid.

* * *

_Awkward…this is so awkward._

Was the only thing that rang in Sakura's head as she tried to down her ramen bowl while Itachi glared equal holes into her face. She had to hand it to him, the man could obliterate anything surrounding him with his aura alone yet more with his evil long stare. _Does he even blink?_ She swore she saw the malice lingering around him like a black veil and she too was certain that if she lit a flame the kitchen would blow up due to his acidic presence.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably from where she sat –the furthest from the Uchiha- and gave her back to him so she could finish her bowl. It was better this way than having a man glaring straight at your face while you ate. Once done she sighed satisfied and placed the empty bowl down at the table without looking. She bit a pout because that ramen was the most delicious thing she had ever ate in a while and was actually disappointed there wasn't any more. Imagine going back to the black goo stuff they called food after this meal…

A loose strand brushed against the tip of her nose and she huffed it away. She felt the ongoing glare drilling at the back of her head and it made her irritated, enough was enough, she got the message that she irritated him but she didn't dare to talk him off it. She glared to the innocent bowl instead and made her prayers before standing up and walking towards the sink trying to ignore as much as possible Itachi's presence by distraction. Deidara came soon after and leaned by the kitchen's frame as to keep an eye. She peeked through the corner of her eye at the blonde and small-smiled and visibly relaxed, he too.

Sakura pulled back her yukata's sleeves and tucked them securely, she began to wash her finished bowl now that the presence of Deidara had made her comfortable but it didn't last long.

Itachi stood up and calmly walked over the rosette, he saw her tense and the blonde too but he continued nonetheless and Deidara shifted in his relaxed form. Just as he was a few feet away from her he stopped just as she stopped washing a while ago and he knew she had stopped mid-wash the moment he rose from his seat. The atmosphere grew eerie as the water kept running. There was a faint crackling noise as Itachi proceeded to make way around her to the other side of the sink and he looked down at her with his usual stoic face.

Sakura held her breath as those crimson orbs rested over her jades when she looked up. It was a mistake to ever do so but luckily right now she wasn't his opponent. Her lower lip curled inward and she let her eyes travel down to his hands. There was a bowl there, in his hands. His, she figured obviously.

"Leave it…I'll wash it" she said and never lifted her gaze.

There were reasons for that, for once, she somehow knew he was the one who cooked the ramen and it was pretty good -no, it was delicious-. So, yeah, she was at least thankful for that.

Itachi left the bowl in the sink wordlessly and turned away before turning into a flock of shadow ravens and exiting through the window into the darkness of the night. Only then Sakura and Deidara could relax. She sighed audibly then turned to Deidara with a sheepish face.

"I think you guys need a new bowl…"

Deidara arched a brow and now that he remembered he had heard a crackling sound before. Sakura lifted the bowl in sight and he watched as it was all cracked up and now crumbling until it was nothing but trash. The remnant shards fell onto the sink nosily and Sakura ignored them to wash Itachi's bowl.

"Sorry, it's just…he makes one nervous"

"Yeah I get ya, just throw it away un. I'll help ya. By the way I even doubt they'll notice, people hardly eat here anyways."

"Thanks" she murmured or more like mumbled to herself. "I guess you're right"

"Nn. I tell ya… Itachi's hairy arse gets to him all the time. That's why he's an ass, yeah"

Sakura snorted but couldn't agree more. His ass controlled his actions.

While Deidara busied himself in picking up the shards Sakura cleaned around the kitchen.

"How do you know his arse is hairy? I'm curious" she asked him while she wiped the table top and heard him choke followed by the shards being dropped again in the sink.

"I-I H-HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!"

"I dunno, you tell me." She pointed out at him with the cloth before she continued polishing the table.

"Very funny, yeah, very funny" he said dismissing her joke.

Sakura giggled in the background and Deidara grumbled, he made his way to the trash can out in the corner next to the fridge, he picked it up and headed over the sink again to throw away the shards. He was so into it that he didn't feel when a shard cut his finger, he only knew when he saw the blood.

"Crap"

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked from the other side of the table as she finished up tucking the seats under the table. Her eyes lifted but only saw Deidara's back.

"Your fault, yeah." He grumbled and put away the trash can into its usual place once all shards were thrown away.

"Mine?" she raised a brow questioningly and made her way towards him while unfastening her sleeves and dropping the cloth over the back of a chair.

"Yeah, look." He raised his injured finger with his frown-pout trademark. Sakura had to lean back and adjust her vision for how close he showed it to her face, nearly inches away.

"A bloody flip off? That aint my fault, it's yours for not being careful"

"Agh don't come to me with that, yeah. It's your fault for making me nervous, un."

"Oh the Itachi thing?" she asked with a cat-like grin.

"Y-yeah" he backed out and cradled his hand.

"You know that's an excuse right?" she raised a pink brow and invaded his personal space.

"Yeah but…O-oi!" Deidara backed out reflexively but the sink counter stopped him, he stared wide-eyed at the sudden behavior of Sakura.

"Just stay still"

And he did, he didn't even breathe as she closed up even more but not in an intimate way, which he was grateful because he didn't want any misunderstanding. In a few heartbeats Sakura grabbed his hand, the one with the injured finger, and studied it. Deidara relaxed and huffed, his mouth pressed into a firm line. Her hair was so close he could smell Konan's fragrance oils mixed with her own natural scent. He could also see the other different shades of faint pink and reds her exotic hair had and how tiny of a figure she was. Her yukata teased his eyes with a hint of cleavage….

"Deidara?"

_Vibrant Jade eyes…_

"Huh?"

"I said does it hurt?" Sakura said as she poked the injury.

"Oh…uh no."

"Really? How so? Does it have to do with these stitches?" she said as she pointed out to the stitches he mysteriously had in an arm.

As a medic she didn't miss the difference in skin tone in one of his arms, it held stitches, very much like kakuzu's work since she too had been worked by him though it wasn't that hard to miss. She wondered what could have happened to Deidara to lose his arm, which she knew it was the case, whom had he fought to have left him like that? She had heard that Deidara was a hard target since he's long range and favored the sky for both the view and protection. Sakura wanted to ask him but it was better left unknown, she thought that bringing up such a topic might open a scar he momentary had forgotten but then again she'd already poked his scar.

"Nn. I dunno, yeah. I just don't feel anything at all not even when I mold clay, yeah."

"But you feel with the other one right?"

"Yeah, I feel with the other one just fine"

She nodded once in understanding and flipped his hand for a better view of the injury.

"It's just a scratch, really, but I'm gonna heal it anyways"

Before Deidara could protest that it was ok and let it be or even pull away she had already penetrated her chakra in his skin and it took her less than a second to heal it. Sakura wiped the surfaced blood with her thumb and let go of his hand, she gave him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes and washed her bloodied finger in the sink as she made her way around him, being careful not to wet her loose sleeves.

"There you go, now you won't die"

"Pfft humorous girl, yeah, but thanks un."

The silence stretched awkwardly for a few minutes after they settled in the table, it was very late at night and Sakura still waited for Konan since she had mentioned going out, not knowing where to at this hour but Konan knew where to, that's for sure.

"Hey Deidara-san…"

Finally breaking the silence, Deidara looked over her, he was tracing invisible circles on the table top, yeah…really nothing to do. He could do much more alone in his room but he wanted to be around her presence for unknown reasons and just seeing her long face was enough to cope with the silence.

"Just Deidara please, yeah" he flashed a grin and she replied him with her own.

"Alright…umm what of Sasori?"

Surely she had to know. Somehow worry got to her when it should not but she couldn't help it, she was fond of him and since the last encounter with Hidan didn't go so well with him she just had to know, wanted to know if he –it- was alright.

"He's cool, yeah, thanks to you. Itachi has him though…"

She looked up at him with a sharp frown. _Why?_ The question was clear in those green crystalline eyes that Deidara had to answer her. He sighed and pat her head as he leaned towards her.

"Don't worry, yeah, like I said; he's cool. If Sasori was against his will with Itachi…let's just say that only he can make a living hell out of the Uchiha, so no worries, un."

"Oh…I see"

It was a relief, yes, but she didn't like the idea of Itachi having him at all, though to be honest, Itachi was the safest sanctuary if she had to say. Itachi was a natural people repellant with a square mile radius if be, except for the fish…the fish seemed oddly comfortable with his presence. She touched Deidara's fingers that was still resting on top of her head and gave a weak smile, for a ninja they were soft and non-calloused, she blushed softly when she locked eyes with Deidara, she was so caught in the moment that she had caressed the inside in between his fingers and she jerked her lingering fingers but kept her hand in place.

Deidara bit the inside of his cheek, the contact wasn't supposed to happen but he was lost in thought, the thought of making her feel better. He knew she was studying his hands because of the way she unconsciously brushed them with her frail fingers, maybe a habit she had as a medic, he thought… but still he bit harder his cheek when she looked at him with buffed pink cheeks. They were beautiful, her face, was beautiful and she didn't need the glimmer of makeup to assure that. In fact he wanted to wipe it off.

His hand moved unconsciously, savoring the silkiness of her pale hair, her hand that rested on top of his moved with his as he trailed down until he cupped her cheek. Her eyes were beautiful and they never left his but they expressed everything that she felt and thought like an open book. They were confused, they were searching for a meaning where there was none, they widen when contact came with her cheek, they were waiting for an answer he didn't have and she knew. He knew that she would know that whatever came out of his lips right now would be an excuse for what actually happened so he pulled out his hand gently from her face and brushed slowly his fingers from her hand to last out the contact before letting his hand rest at his side.

"Soft hair yeah"

* * *

Itachi's brows almost crashed with each other as frustration grew up for many reasons. He hated the fact that he was now confused and didn't know if to blame the connection with the core or himself and he opt for the core. The moment he saw the girl enter the kitchen something had sparked in his chest, something….unknown –well not unknown but long forgotten. It was that strange flutter when something attracted you.

"Hn" as if…

He dismissed the thought and refocused on what he was doing; working out. He hung upside down from a tree branch and held a rhythmic rise and fall pace as he did his last session of abs. A sheen of sweat glistened over his body and he dropped out gracefully to the ground. He took out some kunai, four in each hand in between his fingers, and scanned his surroundings with his dark eyes but didn't felt satisfied without his bloodlimit and so he activated and casted an illusion to all targets that spread out in his radius of perception to resemble that of her, Sakura. Those artificial bodies stared lifeless into nothing, past anything, but they resembled her to almost perfection. All they needed was those annoying, vibrant eyes.

He aimed and threw effortlessly in a blur.

Bull's-eye.

The illusion dissolved right away and turning into a flock of ravens he spread out to retrieve the kunai. All hit dead in the center of their target, all except one, which meant; someone was there. Watching him.

The last raven pieced into his face to complete his features and calmly retrieved the last kunai and straightened up.

"Kisame" his voice low and cool echoed in a small frame.

"Itachi"

In his surrounding, Itachi's, dew collected forming droplets and each drop of water suddenly stretched and poured rapidly into a body shape that ultimately revealed the shark humanoid behind Itachi in a safe distance.

"I'd say, I watched something interesting…" and his face exploded into a splash of water.

Kisame remained silent with a frown as his face rained back to shape. If it weren't a clone his head would've been sliced in half, horizontally, where Itachi had cut with a sword he took out of nowhere.

"Something is bothering you"

Itachi stared back blankly but his crimson eyes shone his disturbance like a lighthouse in the dead of the night. He said nothing back as he stood watching him.

"Vent it out then"

Kisame said lastly as he liquefied into a smaller body, slowly melding and turning into a more feminine appearance with colors bursting in vibrant shades of pink, green and ivory until they collected and formed a very familiar girl as the colors settled. Itachi stared as the newly formed figure slowly opened its eyes, he saw that green, that haunting green and he glared. Kisame knew. And though he couldn't exact the same exotic color, it was close to credible.

His sharingan died out, pleased, and he took his stance with his sword and a second later he slashed, then again and again and again. Slowly at first until he picked up pace, faster and faster until his movements where just blurs. He was thankful. Thankful that Kisame colored his clone's inward water red, blood red, and that it was thick as the substance itself. The ruby color splashed everywhere, staining the tree barks, grass, foliage and nearby rocks as Itachi continued to slash out freestyle at his lone target while it stared directly into him with those glistering jade eyes.

* * *

**Well there you have it! **

**To be honest I didn't read it over to see if it sounded right or anything (spelling errors) and while I was writing it I didn't felt comfortable with it. It's like something was missing...maybe more detail and such :/ I'll look it up and try to see if I could fix it in the next chapter! Naruto and Konoha POV will be coming soon! I have a couple of good ideas in store for the upcoming chapter...Sasuke makes an appearance with other more characters like Nagato, Karin, Juugo and Suigetsu! Plus the grand mystery of why Sakura was brought in the first place. **

**LOVE;**

**R1kuz.**

**I wrote a one-shot... It just needs to be cleaned. :B**


	14. XIII

Three weeks had gone long and anxious. Sakura had already memorized the shroud's perimeter, foliage and structure in detail. Since she was allowed restricted freedom and Hidan no longer was giving her attention for some reason. _Thank god…_

It turned out that everything outside the base was an illusion, even the animals. She knew where the seals were placed and where tramps were hidden, how many genjutsu seals and the posts where Akatsuki lazily patrolled, if they even did… She had seen no one since she came here and for being hunted viciously the Akatsuki held a very relaxed life other than the ruckus they internally rose from now and then. But Sakura knew why they had such life, the shroud's genjutsu was powerful, powerful enough to even deceive the Sharingan. At a time where Konan took her out one late night she had her hopes for any rescue crushed…

She saw its power –the shroud's- it was insane. The internal weather of the shroud was controlled and artificial for the outside world, free of genjutsu, was a pouring wall of rain. Rain and rain and rain again everywhere. She knew immediately she was in Ame, Rain country, but what caught her eye was that they were in the middle of a lake where no one in scouting would search for a hidden base. The lake and rain served its purposes; stealth and trackless since the rain and lake washed away any trace and evidence. But that wasn't all, Konan had said that the shroud moved periodically every three days around the lake so that it's whereabouts would remain unknown and sometimes it submerged into the water, she also said that if they didn't had their Akatsuki rings they would never –no matter how skilled- find the shroud. It happened once to Hidan when he was given a rare solo mission and had his fingers shredded off along with the ring in battle. His fingers found its way back to him but the ring remained lost and so did he when he returned to the lake and had no other choice to go back and scavenge for the ring. Sakura could picture him badmouthing and cursing fluffy bunnies.

It was a hard slap for her since most skilled jounin and some ANBU found it hard to dispel some of her basic genjutsu, which she was good at, it'll take three life times to get to the shroud and by the time that happened she was pretty sure it'll be abandoned by then or dispelled.

As she was outside with Konan she couldn't leave the faintest of trails due to many reasons; she wore chakra seals and Konan wiped away any trail they left behind. They traveled to a nearby small village protected from the rain by a large origami parasol that floated with them and each step they took origami made a path for them to walk on instead of the muddy surface. It was amazing and at the same time beautiful. It was hard to think that such delicacies could be so lethal.

Sakura will always remember that night, she had 'fun', even though she was taken away from her familiarities and friends but she had fun. And that she learned something else…

.+.

_*flashback*_

_Two large wooden doors opened up simultaneously. The cheering crowd of both men and women came to a stop to look at the newcomers. Paper origami spread out the entrance of the local 'Party House' and each and every one of the present people sunk to the floor into a deep bow of adoration, even the instrumentalists. Sakura was taken aback as a synchronized chant rang across the walls of the place._

'_Long live our queen and goddess! May the light shine through her wings of destiny and grant us everlasting peace!' _

_Sakura her eyes instantly fell at Konan, which held her usual blank face, then back at the kneeling crowd which kept in respectful silence. She stood unsure of how to react until Konan spoke._

"_Rise and be merry" firm and calm through the lips of Konan._

_Only then did they resume their previous activity and some hostesses came rushing towards them both and stood as a protective wall._

_The smallest hostess directed at them with her head hanging low, her long black hair cleanly braided rested at her back and her bangs covered most of her face except for her bright red lips, a tight purple silk yukata with a plain faded pink obi hugged her figure. Her arms formed a 'V' over her pelvis as a formal gesture and spoke soft and respectful, like you would, for a goddess as they viewed her._

"_Kami-sama let us escort you and your guest" she bowed even deeper and a second hostess delivered a golden bell which the small hostess took in her small hands and rung it once._

_The sound echoed and the crowd divided creating a path to where Konan and Sakura should be escorted._

_Sakura thought she had a favorite spot for every one led straight to a corner with silken drapes that hung from the ceiling and cushions arranged over the floor around a legless blue love seat. A polished mahogany low table was arranged in the middle with cold cuts, pastries, refreshments and an extra-large beautifully arranged sushi bowl in its center. Konan was expected. _

_As they made their way to the arranged corner Sakura caught the faint smell of spices and oils from burning incense. She also saw two tall well-built men dressed in loose harem black pants, bare feet and bare chested and their skin were painted in silver, blindfolded and bald. They stood in both ends of the love seat and cooled the small corner with long feather fans in perfect synch. Once seated the crowd once again melded and the music rose, dancers performed and trained civilians entertained with the basics of jutsu creating harmless elemental shows and illusions._

_Sakura was in awe, she had never seen these houses from this point of view since whenever she went to one she was on a mission, spying or seducing. But now she took at the full entertainment of these services and was equally surprised as the civilians around her, the elemental shows and illusions were so lively and full of burst that had Sakura applauding at the end of all sessions. This action were rewarded with the most heartfelt gratitude from the performers and a few gave a trick or two to express._

_No matter how much Sakura dug into the food it never reached an end and she was so grateful for that. No more goo for a while after this…_

_At a time Konan exchanged small talk with Sakura but she held the firm face of a leader and never opened up from that and it was understandable. These people believed in her as they believed in Pein, they were their leaders, their gods and she could understand that. Though to the world they were criminals, here the Akatsuki were their religion._

_Later into the coming rays of morning Konan rose and Sakura remained seated and watched as how the hostesses cleared the center of the house, the party hard crowd once again divided to make way to their goddess which came to a stop into the center of the clearing. Dim pink, purple and blue lights shone over Konan and the crowd ringed around her only leaving a small gap open for Sakura to view from her corner. Two female instrumentalists settled gracefully in the floor over some cushions and began to play a slow traditional tune._

_Konan posed gracefully then began to sway with the music's rhythm. Long arms extended and caressed the open space as she danced, her legs bended gently and her hips swam with expertise. It was beautiful but somehow…sad. The song held heavy sadness and Konan's expression was close to crying._

_What's happening? Sakura thought and then she heard it, Konan's voice._

_Soft, lulling and delicate. Sung in a foreign language Sakura hadn't heard before. It sounded so beautiful, so calming…so sad. She saw how all crowd remained silent with their heads low and pained expressions that made Sakura wander even more._

_What happened?_

_The music rose in higher tunes and Konan half-turned into origami butterflies as she kept on dancing more intense than before as paper spread across the room. Sakura was hypnotized with the beauty of her performance. The color lights reflected and bounced from each piece of paper that lingered around and created such a breathtaking natural illusion as the first rays of light pierced through the windows and slowly but gracefully her dance and song was over as the music died down and her body collected the last of the butterflies._

_No one applauded and Sakura found herself that she too couldn't. It was not a happy song nor dance and it held a deep sentiment that somehow made her eyes sting and heavy for her heart. She watched as Konan made her way towards her with her eyes closed and her lips mouthed a foreign prayer before saying 'Amen' and taking a seat next to her in the blue loveseat._

_Sakura's lips pressed into a firm line as she kept watching Konan, she was collected and calm but Sakura knew better…she hurt._

"_Today marks the fifteenth year of our village's invasion." Konan began and earned Sakura's full attention. "We lost so many people. Men, women and children with no distinction…" Konan took a long pause before continuing, she held a small cup with black tea that waited to be cooled. When did she get that? It didn't matter. "All for some dark ambition we did not held part of" she stirred a few sugar cubes into the tea and played with the spoon until they fully dissolved. "My parents and my newborn baby brother fell into the piles of corpses the attack had claimed…he was just a few days old, still blind and so small…" her voice turned into a mere whisper as a sudden wave of despair crashed over Konan and she set her tea down after she took two swigs._

"_I was but a child but I remember that day like hours old" She took out an amber drop the size of an egg from her yukata and held it to Sakura's view. "This is all I have from him, from my baby brother, only this and my name" _

_Sakura's eyes widen and was lost of words. What she saw preserved in that amber cut her throat dry. It was his baby brother's umbilical cord. She took a deep breath and frowned not knowing what to say to her._

"_I-I'm sorry…" Sakura hung her head then remembered Konan saying something about her name and she lifted her jade eyes. "You said your name?"_

"_Yes" Konan nodded once "My name is not Konan but Ame, meaning 'rain'. Konan was my baby brother's and I adopted it as a sign of revenge, which I fulfilled many years ago… I destroyed the one behind the invasion and fed blood to quench our people's thirst singlehandedly. Since then my name is Konan and I no longer need to answer for my birth given."_

_Sakura understood now why the people followed, they were hers and they were loyal till their last breath. But something itched behind her skull… where did Pein fit in all this? _

_As she was about to open her mouth to ask she was cut short when Konan answered her lingering question._

"_Pein saved my life once." She said as she shifted her weight back into the loveseat, he tea back in her hands. "He reflected a mortal blow that would've claimed my life instantly when an ambush threatened our village once again. The attackers held connections with the man that led the invasion. Pein's act was witnessed by all the survivors, which are the people you see here…" She gestured the now praying crowd. They held their hands and hung their heads as they whispered faith._

"_He gained holy respect for protecting me and that's when the first days of Akatsuki began. We came to be as protectors of the village first but when we discovered our potential together we alone began to eat territory, as you can see, Ame is the biggest nation of all and we conquered this us alone" She lastly said so Sakura would be left to wonder of their immense power._

"_What of the others?" Sakura asked for the rest of the organization members._

"_We needed sentinels to protect our village as we claimed territory and we kept on recruiting until it became what you see today" her voice was soft and she smiled weakly but full of pride. She finished her tea and straightened up and Sakura followed her._

"_It's time to go"_

_Hostesses hurried to wall them both as the crowd finished their chanting prayers then bowed into the floor as Konan walked towards the exit while Sakura followed behind. The rain began to pour but the origami protected them. Sakura was exhausted to walk back but she had no choice and as they exited the small hostess handed Sakura a small golden box. She gasped and thanked the small woman, knowing there was no declining acceptable, and the hostess bowed with a graceful smile. "A gift for our Kami-sama's guest"_

_Sakura took out a lacy golden necklace with delicate jades just like her eyes. The jewel glittered and sparkled with the little rays of the sun. It shone in her frail hand and she smiled at it. It was beautiful and she would treasure it forever. _

"_May I?" The hostess directed and was rewarded with a nod._

"_Thank you" Sakura said as the small woman fixed the necklace around her neck. She traced the gems, so smooth and yet cold but it somehow warmed her heart at the gesture. She should not be treated like this if she was a captive…_

_Alas they arrived at the shroud and made ways to their chambers. Sakura slept in Deidara's room, she didn't want to disturb Konan because she knew she would sabotage her with questions she held back due to her 'Leader' mask and once that mask dropped it'll have no end… or maybe it did since she slept with Pein._

_*End*_

* * *

"There's so many things I want to ask her" Sakura mumbled to herself and adopted the frown-pout from Deidara. She sighed as she crossed Deidara's room towards the window. She opened them wide and it was now twilight, there was a small breeze and the smell of goo came with it.

"Ack!" Sakura scowled and covered her nose. Why did Deidara had to have the room closest to the kitchen? As Sakura fought the invisible stench Deidara dropped into the room with a very familiar puppet behind, yes, he was back into a body when he'd recovered a week ago. Sakura turned around once she slammed the windows shut and watched their confused expression and she glared a 'what' at them.

"Can't you smell?" she grumbled as she turned fully to them.

"Evening Sakura-san" lulled Sasori with a curt smile and sat by Deidara's futon in the floor.

"Yeah I can smell that alright, what did you ate? Jeez" Deidara waved a hand at the smell and dropped into his armchair in a flop.

"Evening Sas" Her eyes landed at the blonde "Asshole" She beamed an acidic glare and the blonde grinned.

"Chill, I'm joking, yeah" Deidara chuckled.

"You better be or I'll make you eat what's smelling right now, yeah" another thing she picked up from Deidara…

"You wouldn't even come close, yeah" Deidara taunted her and manned up.

"Heh yeah right. You didn't had time to say that last time, un" she grinned at him and he chuckled nervously at the embarrassing memory.

"I was going easy on you, yeah" he defended.

"Pfffft you believe that Sas?" she directed towards the puppet and he gave his doll wide smile.

"In all honesty…no." Sakura wide-smiled and mocked at Deidara.

"Hah!" she affirmed him with a finger

"Ack! Sasori!" Deidara gaped at Sasori.

"Deidara-san please acknowledge your defeat because you clearly had your ass handed over in a silver plate, polished too."

Sakura snorted in the background. Sasori and Deidara began their nonstop discussion about the present topic that usually ended in an art debate. That was their way of bonding and that's why they made a great duo in battle, they never held anything back and never kept anything from themselves. Trust is the better weapon.

Over the time Sakura began to develop a bond with the two Akatsuki members. The trio spent a lot of time together most of the time. Playing board games, sparring, talking, debating, pranking and so on but mostly pranking. It was a well formed friendship out of previous enemies. In her life she'd never thought she could get so attached to two deadly criminals…or were they criminals? She didn't know now. All she knew was that they were her friends for now. Good ones. They acted like two jealous big brothers but Sasori being the more collected one. Deidara was…Deidara, yeah, he could be kind and caring as he could bitch you to death if you got to his nerves.

Sakura knew there was no way of separating them once their discussion began so she hopped into bed and cross-legged facing them and began to listen. Once again they seemed to have forgotten why they dropped here in the first place; to play mahjong and gamble against her since she topped them with an invincible strike. Like her mentor, Sakura liked to gamble, and she had the luck Tsunade lacked making her a gold demon if she wanted. She took the cards from the nightstand and began to shuffle them, knowing that sooner or later they would end up playing. The mahjong board was under the bed possibly letting out its 'play me' aura.

"Face it Deidara-san. In close combat…you're useless." Sasori poked a nerve at Deidara.

"You're no one to talk, yeah! You suck too!" he humph and crossed his arms. His face red.

"I can admit to that. Sakura-san is proof of it… I've been crushed twelve times by her so far" affirmed the doll with a nod as he copied Deidara in crossing his arms.

"Man you're so weak…." Deidara sighed and shook his head "I should request a better partner…like Kakuzu, yeah"

"You hurt me" Sasori gestured a pained expression. "I may be weak up against her but only in close combat. You on the other hand is another story…" He wide-grinned when Deidara gave him the 'don't' look. "Launching head on through your attacks like you were throwing confetti at her and breaking your defense with only a flick of her finger that was enough to knock you out cold for eighteen hours and you call me weak? Plus she isn't even at her fullest look…" he pointed out at her exactly when she cursed as the cards went flying around her when she miss-shuffled "Her diamond seal is gone, so imagine her once she's recharged."

Deidara groaned in embarrassment as he rubbed his temples. "S-shut up yeah! You're still weak, un." He shifted in his armchair and frown-pouted.

Sasori sighed heavy, though he didn't need to but it was the signal of their end of discussion, whatever he'll say next will end the exchange for good.

"Let's face it. We both need polishing in our close combat-"

"-che!" grumbled Deidara disapproving the obvious.

Sakura cursed in the background when she couldn't find the last card, which was under the bed, to stack up the scattered cards.

"-and it serves us as a lesson. We didn't see these flaws since we're both long range shinobi but once we began to spar with Sakura-san we discovered many blind spots and lack of physical reflex as well as defense because she's brute…"

At that Sakura frowned.

"…savage…"

She frowned deeper and glared as her temper began to boil.

"...and non-merciful. She isn't scared of punching you straight across the face or being sorry for the fact, which is good."

Her temper cooled a bit with that last statement but she still held a spark of fury. How could he compare her with something as close to an angry grizzly?

"Che! Brute and savage… I'll show you brute and savage next time, yeah." she grumbled low to herself as a note and she slapped the neatly stacked deck over the nightstand.

"She gave us some good lecturing but as we have weaknesses she too has them and quite pronounced" continued Sasori and Sakura pouted knowingly. She didn't need to argue that fact.

In battle she depended on her brute strength for both offensive and defensive and it left her vulnerable whenever she collided her extremities and full of opening whenever she charged. Not only that it wasn't a problem because she could heal herself but the more she could save chakra the better. Plus she is to tend the wounded in battle so she needs to be sharp and careful of her surroundings. She was extremely sentimental too and that left her wide open when she should not be.

"But it's something we can work it out in time"

Sakura nodded and remarkably Deidara too and everything quiet down, like always.

Gamble time! …or not?

Suddenly Sakura felt a chill down her spine and a nauseous feeling coiled in her stomach, she took a sharp breath that caught the attention of both males and she fisted her hands in the sheets.

"Hey yo, you alright?!"

"Sakura-san?"

Sakura heaved and asked for a moment, her brow knitted and a sheen of sweat veiled over her features. She turned green and tried to stand up, she couldn't hold it much longer and her face twisted… "I don't… feel good…oohh"

"Oh! Oh! OH! I know that face!" Deidara pointed out at her. "It's the face you make when you're gonna puke yah! Sas! Let's get her to the bathroom!" He squeaked and jumped away towards the bathroom. Deidara was a mystical male and anything regarding gross fluids or anything snot-like was a huge negative for him and he always lost his cool no matter who was present.

For the worst Sakura felt the gravity shift earning her another heavy heave as the puppet picked her up and jumped to the room's bathroom as Deidara had already opened the lid of the toilet and stood outside at the door holding it. She barely had time to process it was a toilet before she emptied her stomach at the waiting water with a powerful heave, she trembled between the waves of vomit and cold sweated making her hands slide within its grip at the toilet's ring. Luckily Sasori held her hair back while she threw up.

"Careful, don't break the toilet Sakura-san" she nodded and eased her hold.

Sakura nervously flushed the toilet every time she emptied, the smell and color of goo made her all the more sickening and once her stomach calmed town she wiped her mouth with a cloth Deidara handed to her and straightened up making Sasori let go of her hair.

"Y'alright?" Deidara asked as he took a few steps back since the bathroom was getting cramped up.

"Yeah…" she gasped and wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead with the same cloth "I shouldn't have eaten that stuff" she tried to straighten up but her legs flailed and another sharp contraction hit her stomach "Ack!" she groaned as she fell back to the floor and huffed.

"I think I'll stay here for a while" She said as she hugged the toilet bowl.

"Yeah, until you get better, un." Deidara said while he leaned on the wall.

"I'll get you some water Sakura-san" she nodded as she rested her head over her folded hands. Sasori left and as he passed Deidara both locked eyes with firm expressions until Deidara sighed and shook his head. They knew what was wrong with Sakura and she wasn't going to get any better and if she didn't knew… she would find out soon enough just as they found out right now. Sakura was pregnant and she will never notice since the child carried no chakra like the Jashinist.

* * *

"How did you noticed?" Asked a perturbed Deidara. He paced back and forth in the kitchen while Sasori cleaned the goo off…everywhere. The table, stove, fridge, chairs, countertop, sink, walls and floor were covered with it. Zetsu forgot to turn down the heat and the goo exploded all over the kitchen and over him since there was a perfect outline of him in the floor and it looked like he was sampling some goo before it exploded.

"I once belonged to the Jashinists and I still hold a faint connection with the cult's sorcery and when I held her hair I sensed it, faint, as if struggling to live" He said as he threw away the heat-bent cacerol in the trashcan. "That fetus won't live through the first trimester since it's not taking necessary nutrients. Sooner or later she'll miscarriage." He mopped the floor with a 'scared' mop since it was all curly and frizzy even when wet. "And I'm surprised she hasn't miscarried yet because we've sparred and she had rough movements and taken some blows" He threw the mop into the bucket that laid by his feet and washed his puppet hands in the sink then turned to a seated Deidara that rubbed furiously his temples.

"This is all fucked up yeah" he grumbled and huffed as he couldn't believe what was happening. "How come you didn't notice before?" he asked him as he willed himself off the chair to take a cloth and mystically wipe the fridge's surface. "Damn this stuff is sticky, ugh I'm gonna puke, yeah" he gagged as he forcefully cleaned the rest of the fridge. Whining all along.

"Like I said before; it doesn't hold chakra and it's too weak to give her any symptoms" He paused to struggle with a gooey stain on the sink. "I noticed because I had a long contact with Sakura her. She doesn't have any idea that she's pregnant still, she even blamed this-" he gestured all over him at the goo "-for her upset stomach."

"How far along is she?" Deidara threw away the cloth and didn't bother to clean it since it meant to touch that crap. A big no for him.

"I honestly don't know" He said sincerely then began to finish what Deidara attempted to clean.

"But I mean doesn't she keep track of her…her…her…" it was too embarrassing for him to finish but at last found the correct word. "Her cycle."

"I believe she lost track of the time or she's irregular or she's bleeding normally. There are rare cases that that happens in some pregnancies or when you're about to miscarriage" He was almost done with the sink as he answered Deidara.

"Ok ok ok no more yeah. I mean it's weird that you know such things, un." He rubbed his temples again as if trying to erase what he just heard. _Fluids._

"I've always had interest in the human body, you see, it's amazing how-"

"-not interested!" Deidara squeaked as he covered his ears. Whenever the topic of human bodies engaged, Sasori began to blab about disgusting things that had to do mostly with fluids or of the colonies of bacteria that lived within our bodies.

"A shame. It would have served you for the better knowledge" he grinned at the blonde which flipped him off.

"Shut up will ya?" He frown-pouted

Sasori chuckled before turning into concern.

"There's something bothering me though….Jashinists are made by ritual not conceived. I can't even begin to explain how it's that even possible"

Sasori began to mumble and eventually he lost himself in thought and while Deidara knew it was practically useless to break his line he decided to leave him to his calculations.

"Anyways, Imma check on her, we still need to figure out how to break this into Konan and Pein the best way possible" he dismissed and left Sasori alone to finish up tidying the kitchen like a robot in his own world as he headed over to his room.

Once he was in front of his door, he turned the handle and it creaked as he poked an eye, he then swung the door completely open when he noticed something wrong.

She was not there in bed where they had left her, the window was wide open and the sheets were thrown away from bed and traces of an angry Hidan's essence stained the room.

"SAS!"

The puppet appeared in a blink besides him and took in the situation just as fast.

"We should get Pein"

"For what?"

Both Sasori and Deidara turned to see a curious Konan standing behind them. Her golden eyes glinted when she perceived Hidan's murky essence.

"I see"

.+.

"Sheesh" grunted a disappointed Hidan through the corridors of base, he didn't need to hide chakra since he held none and that was a gift. "Couldn't that asshole give me a better mission? He's fucking mocking me with these lowlifes _and_ disrespecting my god" He kept on whining about his mission where Pein sent him on a solo to kill trespassers that seeped into Ame, way too close to the village. Hidan barely lifted a finger with the trespassers from grass country since most of them were taken out by their tramps and genjutsu. In fact he didn't even felt like sacrificing the survivors once he took out one with a shuriken…a _shuriken!_ What were they? Gennin? He scoffed when he saw the body drop to the floor lifeless. He stood hidden to see if it was a clone and if their teammates even noticed but none for the matter. When he saw this he just activated a powerful genjutsu, equal to his anger, and walked away cursing and scowling as the screams of battle-confused shinobi echoed to his back. Being a Jashinist had its advantages; he needed no chakra to conjure jutsu, which was in all means, perfect. He praised his god by kissing his charm at the end of his necklace.

He had already ripped the coat off as his anger heated his skin, he was going to pass the kitchen when he heard the word 'Jashinists' and stopped mid-step.

"…nd I still hold a faint connection with the cult's sorcery and when I held her hair I sensed it, faint, as if struggling to live" he heard Sasori mumble through the wall.

_Struggling to live? What he's talking about? _

He honed his hearing to get a clearer sound. He frowned at what he heard next…

"That fetus won't live through the first trimester since it's not taking necessary nutrients. Sooner or later she'll miscarriage. And I'm surprised she hasn't miscarried yet because we've sparred and she had rough movements and taken some blows."

_Fetus? Miscarriage? What the fuck?!_

He was confused but it eventually downed on his pea-sized brain.

_That bitch… THAT BITCH IS PREGNANT?!_

He didn't listen to the rest of the conversation, not that it mattered to him anymore.

Hidan wanted to roar and claw something to death in frustration but he kept his feelings in check since he didn't want to be discovered. Instead he made his way back and outside and broke the seals in Deidara's window with ease then wide opened it to leap in. Once inside he looked at the girl's sleeping form that rested in bed, probably exhausted though she looked more like a corpse with the ashen skin. He hadn't bothered her in a while since Pein spewed shit to him and once he saw her again his anger rose. He wanted her, again. He wanted to touch her, to feel her, to hear her scream. So many things he just needed from her that drove him mad with need. The need of carnal lust, the need of predatory dominance, the need of warmth… he's just…

Crazy.

He stepped closer until he was by the bed and hovered his hand by the end of the white sheet that rested atop her chest. It fell and rose evenly with each breath she took. He crooked his finger and swiftly yanked the sheet away from her body and threw it off with the same motion, landing far off from the bed. Her frail body shook and her brows knitted in her unconscious state as cold air hit her body. She was dressed in an ivory set with no underwear, since he could see her peachy mounds and her shaved womanhood, probably Sasori who dressed her…

_I didn't know I could…seed._

He held his breath as he lifted his hand and placed it over her lower abdomen. He needed to confirm what Sasori had said and he knew the puppet doesn't lie, but still, he needed to see for himself.

His chest tightened as he felt the connection and that small flutter…

The fetus had a heart, unlike him, and that's when he snapped.

_It's not possible!_

She_ is_ pregnant and it was his. Though it was weak and wouldn't live much longer just as the puppet said, still, he didn't want to risk it. He needed to get that thing out of her now but he sensed the blonde's chakra drawing closer to his direction. His anger escalated and he grabbed her unconscious body form the bed and flung her over his shoulder.

_This is an abomination! A desecration! This needs to be purified! Imma finish this elsewhere. That fag's gonna get in my way along with that puppet._

He leapt through the window with her and ran into the woods like a lightning bolt. He was in an emotional wreck to notice he had left a perfectly fresh trail of vivid essence that would make him an easy tracking target.

He was blind with the need to get things done and his mind raced in overdrive to notice Itachi and Kisame sparring just a few meters from where he had stopped. He was so obvious. He knew he will never get past them both without an explanation once he sensed them.

_Fuck it._

Both Itachi and Kisame stopped sparring to give attention at the escalating murderous aura coming from Hidan. They didn't hesitate to head over to the spot.

"Kisame" called Itachi.

"Aye"

They teleported just over some trees with a perfect view of Hidan and the girl.

The duo dropped ten feet away from Hidan and watched as he brutally dropped the girl into the ground. She landed with a gasp and coughed as her limp body splayed in the ground still unconscious. She was pale and looked sick. Both Itachi and Kisame glanced at each other looking for answers but knew it was probably to rape her again, or maybe not, for he took Sakura by her neck in an iron grip and lifted her off the ground and she began to choke in her unconsciousness.

"Hidan!" Kisame jumped first while Itachi stood back relaxed with kunai ready. He didn't even pose, he just stood there lazily, like Hidan posed no threat.

"FUCK OFF!" Hidan's eyes were the color of crimson as his scythe popped in his hand and slashed at the shark, making him jump away.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER THE FUCKING BOTH OF YOU! OR ILL FUCKING. _FUCKING_ KILL YOU! I FUCKING SWEAR!" He hissed venom at the duo and his word was true. He _will_ kill them if they interfered.

"Just calm down! What the hell happened?!" Kisame was at the verge of tackling him and knock some sense into him if he didn't calm down any second now. Luckily he was distracted enough to loosen his grip on the girl's neck, earning her a few shaky breaths.

"CALM DOWN?! AS IF! AND FOR WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?…IT'S NOT OF YOUR FUCKING CONCERN!" and he lifted his scythe. "And as for you darling…" he leaned her forward and whispered like a lunatic into her ear. "I don't do spawns." he rasped with venom as he went to slice his scythe.

Both Kisame and Itachi widen their eyes at the revelation. The girl was pregnant and Hidan was to kill her for it even if it was his fault. That fraction of a second cost them dearly for it was what they needed to get to Hidan on time but it was too late. Hidan had already slashed her lower abdomen making Sakura jerk into consciousness with a sharp painful scream.

"GYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Itachi threw his kunai dead on his hand making Hidan drop his scythe so he wouldn't chop Kisame's head as he tackled him. The force of Kisame's colliding body made Hidan drop the bleeding girl, which Itachi caught bridal-style before falling into the ground, and leapt away from both Hidan and Kisame until he disappeared into the thick trees with her.

"Suirō no jutsu!" Kisame chanted and a sphere of water began to consume Hidan until he was fully trapped in his water prison jutsu. Kisame left a clone to attend it since he didn't need to bother if he drowned, he was immortal. Hidan raged and cursed and threw a fit before falling unconscious as water drowned his lungs. He fell fast because of his rage but Kisame never released him. The real Kisame headed back to Itachi until he confirmed Hidan was truly unconscious.

Itachi came to a stop to check up on her and Sakura choked in painful wheezes, her eyes wide and darting nervously back and forth Itachi and Kisame when he came to view and she wiggled desperate in Itachi's arm attempting to push him away but man, he had an iron grip. The last she remembered was puking at the bathroom and then she woke up to this and in pain _and _outside. She squealed in fright and pain and almost died when she saw the large gap in her lower abdomen and blood running freshly and fast, staining her up her stomach and down her thighs. Her blood was absorbed by Itachi's clothes and trailed over the arm that coiled under her knees.

She thought both Akatsuki were there to kill her but the shark's worried expression told her something else. She saw how he lost his cool as he ran his fingers through his hair and asked Itachi what to do next. Her lower lip trembled and her hands dropped to her wound and she bit back a scream when the wound stretched with her movement. She couldn't talk because her throat was swollen thanks to Hidan.

She began to calm down after all started to become rational when the shark spoke.

"Hidan's gonna get chopped and cooked after this"

_Hidan! _She whimpered and started to wiggle. She had to get away from that demon NOW! Forget about the pain and anyone!

_Why?! _

She began to thrash in Itachi's arms and failed to notice his nails digging into her flesh and Kisame circling around them nervously as if looking for an opening to intervene. He knew Itachi was at the verge of dropping her in the spot and teleport to fuckland but no matter how much adrenaline or strong willed she was, she began to tire at the loss of blood until her movements became that of slow motion. Her breathing ragged and became labored until her arms flopped and her body became heavy in Itachi's arms.

"Let me"

Kisame approached the silent Itachi with the intention of taking the girl from his arms and getting her to Kakuzu or Sasori, which were the best in knowledge of the human body, and had a much better chance of saving her. But as soon Kisame invaded personal space to take her, Itachi sprang into a run, leaving Kisame two seconds behind before he followed making a few hand signs.

The clone Kisame left behind reacted to its command and began to move towards base with the imprisoned Hidan.

Sakura felt like she was warping. The speed was incredible and she felt sick as her head wobbled whenever Itachi met force to jump again. She felt a bruising discomfort over her arm and thigh and she reflexively tried to shrug it with what little strength she had to find alieve. Itachi relaxed his hands allowing ease as his manicured nails no longer bit her skin. She tried to look up at him but couldn't lift her head with the heavy exhaustion and instead her eyes blurred into her wound. Her medic instinct alerted her to start healing and she knew she had to before she slumped unconscious. She could heal herself enough to keep her out of danger but her head spun with little notion, still, she tried.

Uneven sparks of chakra hummed under Itachi's arms. He knew immediately that the girl was trying to work on her wound but she was a mess in terms of concentration and manipulation but it was understandable. He felt another spark, stronger than the last, and it was more even in balance but it began to die down rapidly. Then another much stronger with no intention of dying out, and it never did, it lasted until both Kisame and Itachi reached the base. They were greeted by three other Akatsuki members; A pissed off Deidara, a noticeably worried Sasori and a murderous Konan.

"What's the meaning of this?" Asked Konan with a stern voice before Deidara could yell out his mind.

"It was Hidan" Kisame answered for everyone as he towered besides Itachi.

"Give her to me" Konan's voice trembled with rage as she brushed past Sasori and Deidara. She silenced everyone with her actions.

"She's an important piece for us! And she is to be PROTECTED at all costs!"

Konan nearly screeched making everyone except Itachi flinch like scolded children. Itachi nodded once and at this Konan relaxed and gained her posture again.

"You have all done your job perfectly, I don't doubt your service but we must not forget that there are internal conflicts"

Everybody knew she referred to Hidan and that he's little to no trust at all even if he was part of the organization.

Soon everybody learned that Sakura was healing herself…while unconscious. This was noticed since Konan muttered a pained comment. 'This poor girl…'

Itachi looked down at her and his lips pressed into a firm line. He saw her gap was nearly gone and took view of her ashy skin, her choppy pink hair was wind-messed and her bloodied body was thin and bony and all curled up in his arms, preventing his eyes to land in her feminine attributes. She weighed nothing. She smelled of sweat, dirt and blood mixed with the faintest of floral. She had heavy dark circles under her eyes that fanned long dark lashes, her lips were grey and cracked with dehydration but all the more she held a peaceful expression. To his eyes came to view two orange manicured hands –Konan's- and he unconsciously gripped the girl harder, it lasted only a second but it was more than enough to put everyone alert, even Kisame.

Konan eyed at the Uchiha until his sharingan met her golden eyes.

"Deactivate, Itachi. I'm no threat" Konan said. She never blinked when she reached out again to take Sakura from him and this time he moved forward her extended arms and let the girl's body be cradled by Konan. She didn't care to soil their trademark cloak with her blood and as soon as she had a firm grip on her she summoned her origami wings for fast travel.

"Bring Hidan to me. I'll see to his punishment…personally." Konan said stoically as she hovered.

"A'ight" Nodded Kisame and hand signed. "I'll send the clone over."

Konan nodded and flapped her wings gaining more altitude.

"Thank you for your help Itachi, Kisame." Her head turned towards the blonde and puppet "Sasori prepare what you see fit for preventing an infection and contact Kakuzu. Deidara blow me a temporary grave for Hidan, we still need him but not for now."

"Got it, yeah." _Again…_ _he took her again and I couldn't do anything_!

He glared at the floor with his arms crossed as he pulverized a tiny rock with his feet. "I'll blow him a grave so deep it'll take him ten years to crawl out, un" he grumbled as he stomped the remnants of the rock. He didn't like the idea of it being a temporary grave but what else could he do? The guy was immortal.

"I'll need permission to go outside the shroud, I need to harvest a local herb and I'll be taking Zetsu as my partner if I may, he knows best of the plant life to help me search for it." Sasori said and awaited for her obvious reply.

"See to it done. Don't take long, her body is weak. She'll be in the lab once you return." She took flight with a hard flap, lifting a wind over the other members and disappeared over the highest point in base.

* * *

"Yahiko!"

Konan yelled out as she kicked the door open to their room, cradling Sakura in her arms. Her origami wings vanishing.

"Yahiko, come here now! It's bad!" she made way to place Sakura on bed and proceeded to bite her thumbnail in nervousness.

As no answer came she clicked her tongue and headed to the bathroom door. "YAHIKO!" She boomed at the door with her fists, she knew he had a habit of falling asleep in the bathtub and he was one heavy sleeper. She was about to knock again but brushed that thought apart.

-Slam!-

"I knew it!" Konan raged and she fisted her hands in Yahiko's titan hair and pulled his head from under the water to slap him. Hard.

"Wake up dammit!" She slapped him again but he was corpse asleep. "One of these days you're gonna truly drown and die!"

Slap.

"Aghh this is pointless" Konan sighed and let go of his head, making his body slide down the tub and under the water again. Bubbles rising from his nostrils.

"Hm" Konan stared like a hungry predator at the submerged Yahiko, something came into her mind that might work on getting him up to his feet again…

She did a fast set of hand signs and a small spark of lightning hummed in her pointer finger, which she coldly poked the water with…

Yahiko tossed uncontrollably in the bathtub as electricity invaded his body. His rinnengan flew open and Konan retreated her finger from the water making him jump to his feet in alertness. Bare naked.

"What"

His stoic face never changed nor he bid any mind to what Konan just did. He watched as the origami that protected her from the water unfolded to reveal her face. She was…pissed.

"You're slacking off again." She stood up and did an annoyed gesture.

"Apologies, Konan" he relaxed and stepped outside the tub and leaned over to place a chaste kiss over her moist forehead.

"You're sticky. Is something bothering you?" He cupped her face and locked gazes with her, searching.

Konan couldn't lie that her heart was hammering uncontrollably, but heck, she loved the man! He was gorgeous, handsome and stunning. Not only that, but full of sentiment too. He may not look like it but he is a man capable of loving unconditionally, she is witness to that, even though his primary source of life is a connection between him and his best friend Nagato through an odd jutsu. Yeah…long story.

That's the main reason Konan brought Sakura here. Their friend Nagato was dying. Meaning if he died, Yahiko would die, along with the largest pillar of Akatsuki and what little Konan called 'family'. She couldn't allow that and she wouldn't, her village must be protected. Konan does admit that it was cruel to take Sakura away but she didn't had much choice. She knew that taking her mentor, Tsunade, was a hard task and to make her help them was nearly impossible so it left to her apprentice; Sakura. Word had spread that she was just as good as Tsunade in such a short time.

She-Sakura- needed to heal Nagato. The jutsu he's conjuring not only it consumed his chakra but also his life-force. And Konan had a scroll that contained a forbidden jutsu just for that, which, she had to create an ocean of blood to just obtain it. The scroll was kept in Iwagakure sealed under the rocky abyss and highly guarded with the finest of shinobi. Zetsu had claimed it with ease but the Tsuchikage was a step ahead of the Akatsuki, like always, he was an old geezer but dumb he wasn't. Though it took a lot of time and blood to reclaim the scroll in the end he had to abandon it for the sake of his village. The Tsuchikage didn't take pride in the deaths of his shinobi. He was certain that the scroll would return to his hands some time later once he and his shinobi were prepared.

"I-It's Sakura..." Konan fought to keep her composure but it proved too strong and she broke into sobs and hics. Her eyeshadow smudged with her tears and she bear-hugged Yahiko. "She almost got killed! Heck! She's still in death line!" She explained between sobs. "W-we need her! It's the only way to fulfill our dream! Akatsuki mustn't fail!"

"Hush Konan, don't overreact, it's not over yet" he pulled away from her death hug and kissed her reassuringly. "I'll get ready. Meet me at the lab"

Konan sniffled and wiped her eyes nodding once. The groaned at her blue stained fingers and took a glance at the mirror.

…_crap. The wailer; Konan edition in 3D._

* * *

It took almost four hours for Sasori and Zetsu to concoct an anti-inflammatory. Also he had to inject Sakura with an antidote of is. It turned out that Hidan had his way with his poisons when he almost killed him and dipped his scythe with it. Yeah it was a hustle when Sakura suddenly convulsed in the lab. Sasori immediately recognized the signs she gave off after and popped a compartment within him and quickly submitted the antidote into her body. It worked almost instantly, since it was enhanced with chakra but it only served to take her out of danger zone, the rest her body had to burn it off with fever.

Kakuzu grumbled under his mask as he cut out the last knot of the stitches. Her wound was almost healed but it was tender and frail with poor performance and she reopened it a bit when her body convulsed earlier. It took about nine stitches.

"This'll do" Kakuzu's deep voice assured.

"Good" thanked Sasori as he proceeded to clean around the newly stitched wound.

"Sasori" Kakuzu called to the puppet as he snapped out his dirtied latex gloves and threw them to the designated trashcan. The puppet took a glance from the corner of his eyes to the inhuman being indicating his attention.

"The girl is human and she will not get better, not even with her medical skills. She lacks nutrients, sleep, body fat and muscle" He leaned his back into the wall and crossed his legs eyeing the puppet who now felt guilty. "Whatever the fuck Zetsu is doing at the kitchen is not good for her. Either learn how to cook, buy some food or ask the Uchiha, you make your call." He heard the puppet sigh then saw that it nodded.

"You're right. I was focused on upgrading my bodies that I let that slip, a huge mistake that a 'sorry' would not compensate." He wiped Sakura's unscarred face and was determined to be more careful from now on, which he considered late.

"And of all the options; I choose Itachi."

"Heh. Balls." Kakuzu shook his head.

"I have no taste buds. Also, you have to cost the food supply"

"Fair enough. 2% of our capital should be enough for a 2 year food supply. I'll see it done by midday tomorrow" and he vanished.

"Greedy cunt" Sasori chuckled then stared at the slow breathing Sakura, he traced a puppet finger over her bony cheek and wondered if it was as soft as he imagined.

_So frail…_

He must admit…Kakuzu was the only one who actually knew what was best for her. He'd seen him slip soldier pills on her drink and by night he'd leave some goods in strategic places for her daily usage like embarrassing pads, scented shampoo and soaps, deodorant, books, clothes, snacks, games and many other things that could make a girl completely comfortable in a place full of strangers.

He somehow felt relieved that she was no longer pregnant but he was a bit worried that the poison would leave her infertile. Only time would tell…

He straighten up and attached chakra strings into her body lifting her effortlessly to place her in the multi-position bed where she should rest for god knows how long. He pushed the bed she was just placed and its small wheels glided her out of the room and into one that was going to be hers until she recovered. Sasori left the room for some IV's before the other ran out and sealed her door just when he came across with Kisame's clone with the imprisoned Hidan behind.

The clone stopped to inform that Hidan was to be literally chopped and buried in scattered places across Ame. Sasori couldn't help but volunteer in the chopping but he was informed that it would only be done so by Konan.

"A shame…truly a shame"

"Aye"

* * *

**Here's another chapter! I know it promised the apparition of other characters for this chapter but I'll drag it onto the next one with a sealed promise!**

**Please review or PM me if you have any questions~ **

**Also I'd like to thank those who follow up my story n-n! **


	15. XIV

**I'm so sorry about the extreme late post! I'll explain everything down below! **

**I don't own Naruto or anything!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Report"

A drowsy feminine voice called from under piles of documents that stacked in a disorganized desk. The smell of alcohol lingered strongly at the office of the fifth Hokage. Bottles of empty sake rolled by the feet of the busty woman as she stretched and straightened in her seat. Her spine popped and she fixed her sticky, drowsy eyes to the silent men before her through a small gap between the towers of paper.

"I said…REPORT!"

A boom echoed in the room as she slammed her fist in her desk cracking it slightly. Loose document sheets flew off as the desk shook with the force of her fist. Her terrible face poked out, she looked like she had fought a clan of bears and lost. Her golden eyes held swollen red bags under them, her lipstick was smudged and faded, her cheek was plastered with a trail of dry saliva and her double pig tails were uneven as her hair told stories of terror.

The two ANBU shinobi took a glance between them before one of them cleared his throat. He had curly grey hair and a sparrow mask.

"Tsunade-sama we…" He sighed and shook his hanging head "we have no progress."

"BULLSHIT!"

Both shinobi cringed as her desk was flipped off from its place to the side. There stood an angry powerful woman with no care of the disaster of important papers flying off all over the place. She had enough!

"It's been exactly six months since my apprentice has been taken, SIX, and you're telling me that we couldn't even find a trace of her?! As if she disappeared into thin air?!"

"Tsunade-sama we've scouted far and wide into Ame and surrounding areas… Akatsuki is a cautious orga-"

"SCREW AKATSUKI!" Tsunade's booming voice cut off the ANBU shinobi and she limped forward with traces of a hangover in her system, leaving professionalism behind. She only had one shoe on, the other had unknown whereabouts.

"Listen here" she grabbed the ANBU by the collar, he didn't flinch or anything as if accepting his failed mission. "I'm gonna send you again with a much larger squad and you will search again and again, earth, skies _and_ water bodies for her. I'll give you a roaming permission but you gotta bring me back _something_, you understand?! And don't you dare come back empty handed!" her grip turned dangerous around the collar of the man, her knuckles went white and he could feel the pressure that threatened his neck biting into his skin.

"Yes Tunade-sama!" the man nearly squeaked and the other was almost dehydrated from sweating as he stood in a shaky posture.

Tsunade let go of the man and sighed.

"Dismissed"

She didn't even finish the word before both shinobi teleported out of her quarters. She groaned in regret as she saw her flipped desk. Some of the documents were ruined since they landed over spilled sake and she could picture her apprentice, Shizune, burning her ears off and panicking as she tried to sort them out. _She's gonna get me for this later…_

"Sakura…" Tsunade whispered under her breath as her shaky hand fisted in her tangled hair, the other hand, she bit her pointer finger as she suppressed a wave of sobs. She didn't doubt Sakura was strong but she knew she had no chance against all organization. Also She knew that Sakura wouldn't have a vacation trip with them and she had a horrible feeling in her gut that she wouldn't be the same girl she used to be once she's been rescued. Yes. She was going to be rescued and brought back safe and sound and she was going to be sure about that even if she had to break law and bring her back herself. She was her daughter as she created an unbreakable bond with her. Sakura understood her better than her lovable Shizune and she also identified herself with the pink-haired beauty. Love-broken, strong and independent, intelligent and talented, respected and idolized. Sakura was her young self and she loved her more than anyone for much more reasons than the above. It pained her the absence of Sakura. Her office was dull and the lack of medical hand was visible at the hospital. Tsunade couldn't handle another disappointed look of her parents as she reported empty results. Her mother's eyes were always swollen and reddish, she probably cried herself to sleep every night worrying about her daughter and her stepdad also missed her since a gloomy veil shadowed his features. Sakura's father diseased a few years back into her childhood due to pulmonary failure, he was exposed to a powerful poison on a mission that severed his right lung and thus it collapsed claiming his life.

She sighed and evened out her breaths, she needed to be strong for her and for the village and crying wasn't going to solve anything. She wiped away her eyes making her mascara smudge over her lids and the bridge of her nose in a very creative way. Like Sai had slapped her across the face with an inked hand…

"Hatake" her voice raspy in need of a good glass of water.

"You summoned Tsunade-sama?" a cool voice rung behind her. She turned to address him and an awkward silence filled the room as Kakashi took in her appearance but bid no comment. His nose wrinkled though.

"How is Naruto faring?" She said as she went over to flip her desk back into position.

"The usual. Impatient, fuzzing, cussing and thrashing. He wants out." The silver haired man said in a monotonous tone as he dug his masked face deeper into his icha-icha volume suppressing a laugh that surely had to do with the way she looked.

"Figures. He's impatient as I am…as _we_ are" she corrected. "But I won't risk sending him out. We don't know the motives of their plans but we know for one that they're after the tailed beasts. But what doesn't ring is that they took Sakura while ignoring Naruto when they could've easily taken him that day… so there _must_ be another reason"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! TSUNADE-SAMAAAAA!"

Shizune's voice pierced the room as she came inside and took the surroundings and whatever she had on her hands dropped to the floor. Maybe they were coffee or something.

Both Tsunade and Kakashi flinched and sweat-dropped waterfalls. The topic will be dropped for now because what was about to come was an endless testament of insults and death sentences since Shizune often became fierce, a habit she took from Sakura's explosive temper.

Tsunade gave Kakashi a pleading stare, telling him to stay and accompany her in her dismay but he knew better than that as Shizune's face adopted the creepy face Yamato often made. Her dark obsidian eyes widened at the silver-haired jounnin and a hand of darkness, born from Shizune's wrath coiled around his neck.

"Well" sighed the male "I better get going, this has nothing to do with me" he chuckled nervously as he felt Shizune's escalating rage. He popped out of the room just when Shizune stomped into the middle of the room and fell to her knees in utter oblivion. Her rage turned into despair and despair into anguish. She was a mess of emotions and the black haired woman scrambled through the wet documents until she found one in particular…

"T-Tsunade-himeeeeee" she squeaked as she grabbed a piece of paper that was soaked in sake. "T-this…was…eep" she choked as her hand shook with the piece of paper while the other covered her mouth "T-the…allegiance request o-of Iwagakureeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

In the distance a flock of birds took flight, cawing and flapping their wings desperately.

* * *

"Come on! Just let me out already! Let me speak with that old hag!"

"Now, now Naruto just calm down. We know how desperate you are but you have to keep in mind that it's for your safekeeping, Sakura's and of the village"

Yamato tried again to cool off Naruto for the umpteenth time. He knew that Naruto wasn't thinking of the consequences he might bring if he was set out to look for Sakura. He never did. He was sort of the type of shoot first and ask questions later. Though he couldn't blame him for he too wanted to run out of the village to search for Sakura but to actually have fruitful advance they must be calm and collected, which they were nowhere near, at least not Naruto.

"I knooooooow but does she really needs to keep me locked up in here?!" Naruto said as he squeezed the cell bars.

He was locked up in a cell but not just any cell. This one had all the commodities of a luxurious life, specially made for him. It was like a small house, only that you couldn't leave.

"She does this because you don't listen. We all know that you're gonna go AFK (away from Konoha) as soon as you are out of this cell. Last time it took us seven ANBU to haul your ass back into Konoha and thus cutting any means of trust outside that cell." He sighed a lungful as he leaned at the wall facing the cell. "Heck. You even bit my arm back then." Yamato showed the half-moon of dentures that Naruto left in his left arm as he tried to force him back to the village.

Naruto cringed and laughed sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. "He-he, Sorry about that, but I just couldn't help it" _Though I don't regret it…_ He sighed and frowned then slumped back in the couch that was by the bars.

"What do you think they're doing to her?" Naruto asked Yamato with heavy sentiment.

"Nothing I think concerning Akatsuki is good..."

"Yeah, I know, but what do you think anyways?" Naruto insisted and Yamato once again sighed.

"Probably interrogating her or forcing her to use her medical capabilities for their aid or just keeping her for luring you to them…"

"Dammit! This is indirectly my fault!" Naruto yelled out as he slammed his fist into the couch.

_Sakura-chan…_

"Naruto calm down, maybe it's for another reason and Sakura-chan is a strong kunoichi so hope a little, ok? If they wanted her dead, she would've been that day…" he said to the blonde as he stood up from the wall and paced to the cell to crouch just in front of the couch where Naruto was. "I believe they're playing mind tricks on us, so we must stay calm whatever the reason is"

"Yeah but whatever the reason is, it always rebounds about _me_."

"Naruto…"

"Yamato-sensei…" The blonde's gaze was far and tinged with suppressed anger as he imagined the worst for his teammate "I swear I'll rip hearts out if they ever lay a finger on her"

Too bad they didn't know what had happened to their female companion but once they all knew…all hell would set loose.

* * *

The door creaked as it opened to reveal a mostly dark room for the exception of a white light that shone from the head of a bed post. Under it, slept a frail girl with pink hair and fair skin. She had numerous IV solutions that ended up as one through a line that traveled into her veins. Her breathing steady and peaceful and her relaxed face assured a nice rest and recovery under the white sheets.

"Kakuzu, what brings you here?" the puppet asked as he emerged from the shadows with his usual stoic face, he held a tray with clean gauzes, unguents and injections in his wooden hands.

"Got these" he took two vials with a transparent liquid in them from a pouch hidden inside his cloak. "That Tsunade wasn't easy to fool but I managed. She was drunk as hell but very keen" He handed the vials to the puppet which held them out to the light, the vials glowed an eerie blue and the puppet nodded in approval.

"This will help Sakura-san. This liquefied chakra will certainly boost her health, it'll serve as a great substitute until she feeds. Now, about the food stock, how's it going?"

"It'll take some time as much as I hate to admit" Kakuzu said quite annoyed with the fact as he took a seat in a stool by Sakura's bed "Ame is not a fertile land since the rain washes the land's nutrients so I sent merchants to collect crops, spices and other goods that don't grow here from neighbor lands as well as seeds that we can grow in a greenhouse. I brought fruits, dried meat and some fish for the time being"

"Aa. Thank you, Kakuzu-san"

There was a silence between the two shinobi but Sasori kept his creepy doll stare fixed at the masked man.

"What"

"I've been wondering how did you infiltrate Konoha and got the vials?"

"Hn. I didn't. At the time we went for the girl I came in contact with a white-haired shinobi, he was under Hidan's shit but certain things happened that Hidan dropped his thing and later on I engaged in battle. It was quite messy but I wasn't in the mood for killing so I left them unconscious. I introduced my wires in the white one while so and it served me for data on their moves, since I can hear everything he hears. But that's not all, I got lucky, it seems he has some frequent physical contact with the Hokage's first apprentice…" He took a water bowl the puppet handed to him and some cloth while the puppet lowered the thin sheet that covered Sakura down her thighs, then exposed her covered wound as he lifted the hem of her long-sleeved white shirt and lowered just a bit of her white shorts.

"Aa. So your wires moved from host?" Sasori asked as he gingerly removed the dirty gauze.

"More so. They duplicate so I didn't lose the first host- there's puss" Kakuzu regarded as Sasori removed the last piece of gauze, it was tender and visibly infected, the poison being the main reason.

"There are still traces of poison left, which won't ever leave the system unfortunately. I developed it that way to assure death but it will become harmless when her system adapts since I gave her antidote. The liquid chakra will help her to adapt even faster than without it…"

"Hn"

Both men worked on cleaning the wound and pressed the liquid chakra into the IV. They bathed her and changed clothing as well as giving her massages so she wouldn't be so stiff when she waked up.

"You still haven't told me how you got the vials" Said Sasori taking a seat at the other side of the bed.

"I can do many things with my wires. Let's just say I can do your puppet thing but the person doesn't really remembers…"

"So you possessed her?"

"Based on her information, yes. She knew where they were kept and also which were the best, plus she had access to the vault."

"And you got them delivered how?"

"Ah." The man chuckled "well the vials are small, you see, she also had access to the messenger hawks so I made her strap them into the hawk's leg before sending it off"

"Clever… but wouldn't they track the hawk to us if they ever find out?"

"No. Remember, wires. I could just divert them as I please, make them go in circles if I have to"

"Interesting. Maybe I should learn something from this." The doll grinned.

"Hn. Maybe you should"

Both looked at the door as a presence neared. Two seconds later the door creaked open until it revealed a zombie-like Deidara. Messy hair, huge black circles, red sticky eyes, three day buff over his chin and a sluggish stance. He held a teddy bear in one arm and he was shirtless, he only wore a black pj pant and some cozy pink sandals. They were Tobi's but it's a side story.

"And they call me a zombie" Kakuzu rested his face on his fist as he stared at the blonde, he lifted a leg over his other while so for a more comfortable posture.

"How's….sa-ku-a-chan? Yeh" drowsy as hell. He looked like he'd been denied sleep for a month, then slept for another.

"Pfft"

Both the blonde and Zombie looked towards a stoic-faced Sasori, their brows scrunched. They surely heard some strange sound coming from the puppet. And both confirmed when he broke eye contact.

"S-She's…okay" he curled his lips and bit them when they began to curve up. He still couldn't look at the now glaring blonde.

"Since when y'stammer ya goof?" Deidara sounded drunk and he wobbled his way to Sakura's bed and sat by her feet then curled next to her in the narrow space of the bed giving his back at her.

"Must've had a slight miss-connection with my core"

"You'd only believe that, puppet"

"Yah, puppet, you 'ere laffing a' me, yeah"

"Well, there's no use in denying, I do have a human core and laughing is a humane thing"

"Eh? Go slow, I can't process when sleepy, yeah"

"You look…funny"

"And possessed" regarded Kakuzu as he made himself more comfortable in the stool. He shut his creepy eyes to catch a quick doze. Since he didn't had any bounties at the moment- that were worthy- he decided to stay by the girl's side in case of any side effects that might threaten her health. Though he knew the puppet might be able to deal with such situation alone but the more the merrier.

"Whatever, un, I thenk I look okay fer spendin 'n tire day listenin ta Hidan's insults, but that fucker's gon stay'n that ole"

Hidan's sentence was for a period of two months or more depending on how his attitude served. He was constantly on watch and as for Deidara, he hated his turn. 'Hidan talked too much shit' and it drove him or either mad or severely drowsy.

Sasori, as one that didn't need sleep, kept watching Sakura for any unusual signs but was relieved that she kept a peaceful recovery. He was sure that when she woke up, thanks to the vials, she will have her health skyrocket. Chakra was amazing, it could do almost anything unimaginable if manipulated right. From elements to heal, to fly, to see, to protect, to mutate, to kill and to do things that are yet to be discovered. As a curious shinobi, like a scientist, he didn't had limits to explore. For whatever odd things that surfaced there was always an explanation. Nothing occurred without reason. There is no "miracle" in chakra doings, just things that your mind doesn't accept until you have proof.

His mental discussion came to a stop when Deidara began to snore. It was a light snore, like heavy breathing, but in such a small place with trained shinobi ears it was thunderous.

Sasori stood up and walked over the blonde and pinched his nose until he opened his mouth to breathe.

Relieved for the quietness Sasori smiled and went back to take a seat but not a moment had passed when a deeper snore rumbled in the room. Kakuzu. _He sleeps?_

"Ah fuck"

Then Deidara again built the concert.

"…."

* * *

"Will you cut it out bitch?!"

Suigetsu, a lean-built young man of average height, straight white hair with a light-blue tint to it. He had sharp pointy teeth and was glaring his purple eyes to a red-haired female that was currently glomping over Sasuke's neck. She had bumped his shoulder quite hard as she made way past him to the Uchiha, resulting in dropping his last sour plum rice ball.

"No!" She gritted her teeth at him while she tightened her hold at a indifferent Sasuke, who merely brushed her off and left her whining for a second before she continued her sticky interest. The girl went by the name of Karin and she had uneven choppy red hair, red eyes, fair skin and wore dark brown glasses. She is noisy and flirtatious around Sasuke and has a major distaste towards Suigetsu. She specializes in chakra sensory as well as healing but not to the extent of a medic nin. Healing came to her naturally, with just one bite into her skin, her chakra did the rest into healing and restoring chakra deposits. In sensory she doesn't require much effort to do so since she perceives chakra signals from a vast radius, farther than anyone yet known, with no special skills.

On the other hand, Suigetsu, other than a mock head he is a killing prodigy and loves to slice and dice his victims with no reason to do so. He refrains on doing so by Sasuke's demand but that doesn't mean he'd do so while the Uchiha is not watching. In his back he carries a huge sword, much like Kisame's Samehada and both swords come from the same origin. It's a broadsword with the shape of a giant butcher knife in which he took from Zabuza's grave- the sword's previous owner and an old enemy in Naruto's gennin days- and it has a unique regenerative capability in which it converts the iron from its victim's blood to reform itself to its original condition no matter how severed and it goes by the name of Kubikiribōchō. Suigetsu has a passion for collecting big swords and he's very much interested in the "Seven" as from the seven swordsmen of the Mist which all of them carried unique swords. He himself wields one and knows of another which is in Kisame's hands and surely he will stop at nothing to rip it off from Kisame to himself. Overall Suigetsu is calm and observant, a little bit bloodthirsty and sometimes explosive and annoying thanks to Karin. He despises the girl like a plague and while he is often beaten up by her he had already killed her thousands of times in his sleep.

"Sasuke, look." A calm voice came from the left of the three. There stood a muscular man with a serene expression, he pointed out with his pinky finger to a tavern that was almost impossible to spot due to the heavy rain. The group shielded themselves with the crown of a massive tree and dark gray all-weather coats. They were just by the gates of the Ame village, where four intimidating shinobi guarded the gates, two by the open gates and two over the walls patrolling but came to a 'stop-and-stare' at the group that didn't make themselves hidden.

To avoid suspicion Sasuke had left the natural umbrella with his companions behind straight to the gates at a civilian pace.

"Halt!" the shinobi that stood on the right and at the ground barked, not threatening but firm, he held his palm up to indicate a 'stop' as so did the shinobi to the left. "State your business!"

"We are travelers and we wish to stay over the night before we continue our journey, we mean no harm, shinobi" that was Suigetsu, he had his sword dismissed into a scroll as everyone else with their weapons, he half bowed to the shinobi to lower the tense atmosphere.

"We have a rule in our village, travelers, and that is that hospitality will be granted for only three days. More than that and you will be forced to a dismissal unless our leader Hanzo-sama grants extension."

"We understand but fear not, we do not need three days, just a night will be enough" explained Suigetsu again. He mentally ate the man already, he really wasn't one for explaining and he could feel Karin's smirk drill into his head as she enjoyed seeing him like that.

"Very well then, you may proceed." Both shinobi lowered their palms and as the group passed through the gates three more shinobi with gas masks stopped their tracks. The one in the middle held a large green scroll while the ones by his side guarded him.

"Travelers, leave your prints in this scroll now and when you leave, it is confidential and will not be used against you. It is how we control entry in the village." Said the man with the scroll.

Sasuke was the first to step up while the man opened the scroll and he pointed out to where Sasuke should leave his print.

"Right here. Don't do it elsewhere or you'll stamp over the previous print."

But the scroll was blank…

"It's designed for confidentiality, only the ones with permission can see the prints." He explained as he saw the same expression he'd seen over and over with confused travelers.

"Hn" Sasuke expressed a vague nod as he placed his thumb and burned the scroll with chakra. It left a perfect print and he watched as the print milked into the scroll until it disappeared.

"Thank you. Wait to the left for your companions" The shinobi at the left indicated. The one with the scroll did the same procedure with the other three until Karin, where he flipped the scroll so that the other side of the paper was facing.

"Females print on this side and your mark should be made here" and Karin obliged. She scooted to Sasuke's side like a gum and mewled disgusting phrases at Sasuke.

The shinobi with the scroll cleared his throat gaining the attention of the group. "Three blocks from here and to the right you will find yourselves the inn, you have permission to roam but not after nine o'clock, otherwise there will be penalty" he said as he finally dismissed the scroll. "There is a tavern I recommend you all visit, it has great food and drinks at an affordable price"

"Ooooh food!" squealed the female as her eyes shone at Sasuke's sharp features. "C'mon Sasuke-kun let's go over! I'm staaaarving"

"Ugh give me a break…" muttered Suigetsu as he rolled his eyes, he really needed a time out from Karin.

"Said something water boy?" Karin glared at Suigetsu as she dryly asked, she gritted her teeth and began to pull away Sasuke by his arm.

Juugo remained passive and took his steps as Sasuke began to move by Karin's pull. He thanked the shinobi for all the information and quietly walked behind all the group as they were led by Karin towards the Tavern. Once inside the tavern they were greeted by a small woman in a purple silk yukata with long braided hair and red lips, she led them to a cozy corner and attended to their meals. The tavern was homey and the folks didn't give the weird eye of suspicion, which he was grateful.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong baby? You look so stiff" Karin cooed at the raven and trailed a long nail over his jaw.

"Hn. Get off me Karin I'm not in the mood" Sasuke said while he pushed her away, gently, but with enough force to let her know he was serious and she pouted.

"Ah I hate it when you're like this!" she whined then glared at Suigetsu when he made a sound of utter disgust.

Sasuke was indeed stiff, even though many years had passed he could still remember that floral scent of his former teammate, Sakura. It was all over the place, in here, right here in this tavern. Days old and still warm to his nostrils. What was she doing here? This is no place for her. Though he wouldn't care less what she was doing, surely it wasn't right for her to be in the heart of Ame, yet alone. Maybe he was losing his mind? He couldn't even remember her features right if it wasn't for his sharingan… But she was only twelve by then…

"Ugh! This loveseat needs to be cleaned more often!" growled Karin while patting off the surface of the blue loveseat.

"What you're whining about? It's obviously clean" grumbled Suigetsu. He had taken a seat into the farthest corner and visibly away from Karin.

"It's not! Look!" she mystically showed strands of hair she had collected from the love seat and let them drop to the side with a disgusted grunt.

"It's just hair Karin" Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

"_Pink _hair" she accentuated and fisted her hand over her black shorts.

"So?" Suigetsu asked uninterested. He had to keep up with her because if he ignored her, she was ten times more annoying. _God help me._

"So? Ugh! Really Suigetsu?"

"What?"

"I mean,_ hello_, how many people you've seen with pink hair?"

"Eh? I'm not a detailer, I just kill and that's it, no time to study the person"

"Really? Anyways, the only person –which happens to be a _girl-_ with pink hair known in the nations is Haruno Sakura, the fifth Hokage's apprentice"

"Ah yeah I heard about her, green eyes and pale skin, ironic though. Men say she's a beauty, I'd like to see her once. I'm curious about her monstrous power."

"Yes. _Aaand_ she happens to be Sasuke-kun's former teammate" she hissed with a tinge of jealousy that wasn't hard to miss.

"Now I get why you overreacted" he mumbled under his breath and stood up as he got bored. "I'll ask for the menu, want anything? Juugo? Karin?" lastly he set his violet eyes at Sasuke. He had his usual blank face with closed lids, maybe he recited a mantra to keep up with Karin's nags and not kill her…

"Sasuke?"

"Tea. Black-"

"-no sugar. Got it."

Sasuke had thought of all possibilities of why Sakura had been here but none of them were close to credible. Konoha had always kept a strict wall between them and Ame and Konoha never overlooked missions to said land. They had kept a good distance because of previous conflicts with Akatsuki and he doubted the fifth would send Sakura alone in such territory. Unless she had left the village… nonsense he would've known by now. The tongue traveled faster than sound and word of the fifth's apprentice leaving the village would've been known the second it happened. But nothing…

Sasuke looked over at the lone strands of pink hair, they looked silky and gave off a healthy glow. _Still keeping her hair short…_

"Excuse me, would you mind tidying this loveseat? It has pink hair all over it." Sasuke heard Karin talking to a hostess sternly.

"My apologies, miss." He heard the hostess smooth voice as she directed at Karin. "This spot is reserved only to our queen and her guests, but we had a full house today and left us no choice to seat you here, it is usually kept clean but left untouched to preserve our queen's essence, consider it a privilege."

"You have a queen? That sounds awesome!" Karin fixed her glasses and beamed a smile. "I've always wanted to be a queen" she giggled and pressed herself at Sasuke's side. "Specially his queen~"

The hostess ignored her fidget and smiled. "Yes we have a queen, our grand lady Konan, high pillar of Akatsuki" she gestured a gentle palm over her chest, a heartfelt proudness.

"Akatsuki…" Juugo muttered while silence where with the others.

"And the pink girl was her guest?! What's going on here?!" Karin nearly squeaked.

"She was, and she had quite fun, I attended her the day she came here and sat just where you are" The Hostess smiled warmly while Karin twisted her face and moved to seat at the opposite end. Of all the talking, nobody noticed she had already swept the strands of hair off the loveseat and floor.

Sasuke stood up and commanded Karin and Juugo to stay with just a glance. He looked towards the hostess and closed his distance and leaned over her ear to whisper. The hostess, though being serious, she couldn't help but blush at whatever he said to her. Karin gritted her teeth so hard it pierced her skull and shot gamma beams at the hostess which led her dear Sasuke-kun to a door where the 'kinky' section was at.

"I. HATE. HER!" she slammed her fist over the small mahogany table and grabbed Juugo by his collar. "I'm going to kill her if she lays a finger on him! You hear!" she shook the poor muscular man -which bid no special attention- before letting him go from her grip.

"Where's Sasuke?" came Suigetsu with the black tea in hand.

"He's at the back with that bitch of a hostess" growled Karin and Juugo chuckled at her childish attitude.

"Ah. Well… your stuff's on the way, got you some lavender lemonade with four shots of honey and coconut water with cream for you Juugo"

"Thank you Suigetsu"

"Neh, you're welcome. Must get some good stuff for the only one with good manners in here."

* * *

"Tell me" Sasuke's deep voice rasped over the hostess ear as his hands memorized the shape of her curves and firm bottom. The small body shivered at his touch and took a few shaky steps back.

"I-I can't!" she sighed and tried to push him away with futile attempts. He pinned her against the wall and linked their fingers together. They were in a private room, reserved for meetings or 'special' favors. The walls where a deep burgundy and had dimmed pink lighting, black couches and a tempered-glass middle table with hookah, cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and other controlled substances over it. Mist with aphrodisiacs veiled the room and sheer black and red curtains hung from the corner of the room and canopied a round bed that was dressed in black and fixed with rose petals and white shams.

"Anya" the way he pleaded with her name sent shivers through her body, she felt like she was going to lose it all as she resisted this very desirable man that was doing wonders on her just by talking. Her walls spasm with anticipation and excitement, her juices began to moisten her entrance and her nerve bud began to swell making her responsive in a way she would surely lose in this game.

Though she wasn't one to give these kind of services, it came naturally. She wasn't prepared for the ambush since the raven only asked if he could be shown such rooms and once the door closed in behind them. It happened, this.

She squeaked when she felt his teeth nip her neck and when his lips made way up to her earlobe. He pressed his body and she whimpered when she felt his hot arousal over her pelvis. She shut her eyes and bit a pleasurable moan. Her cheeks red and her heart raced. He smelled like moist forest and Applewood, husky and man.

"Anya" he sighed her name like a sin and he let go of their linked hands to spin her around and pin her to the wall hard.

"I-I'm sorry b-but I don't do these services! The girls that do this are in the sanctuary!" she squeaked nervously.

It has been a while since Sasuke took a woman and he was beginning to see how much his body desired release as he's unable to fully control himself with this 'Anya' or was it pronounced some other way? He didn't care. Like he didn't care for anyone except himself and Itachi, for some reason, Murder.

Did she say something?

Her scent drove him mad and her mewls, he loved. As he always loved the women who screamed for him. He liked them loud and sensitive, wet, tight and long-haired. This Anya was perfect, she fit all of his physical attractions and he longed to see if she was tight and responsive. The thought alone made him hard and glossy.

He could have Karin whenever he wanted but he couldn't picture her under him and moaning. She was way too sticky and obsessive and that's just when he hasn't laid a finger on her or directed any attention to her. Just imagine if he did…murder. Yes, murder, she will kill anyone who gave him a wrong eye. Preferably women. Though the thought wasn't that bad but he wasn't a reckless killer. He had motives and he valued his goal. Karin also dizzied him with so much attention, like Sakura, he'd grown to detach those type of women because they were suffocating and he might end up killing them. And her voice… just no. No.

Having Sakura cross his mind he wondered if she still was that squeaky girl that lived to follow him. He thought a maybe, because of what little he knew of her but having not seen her in god knows how long intrigued a thought of how much she had matured…

"Ah!" that lone ecstatic sound snapped him back in that confined room. He had by instinct found his way into her core, her pink obi was by her bare feet and her purple yukata was hanging loose exposing her milky shoulder to his eyes. The gap gave access to his hand as it drew circles over her swollen arousal. She arched her back making her butt cheeks hug his hurting crotch, it throbbed firmly over the thin silk that covered her skin.

He bit that shoulder that was now his and whispered once again to her. "Tell me, Anya" As he pressed firmly over her silken bud sending sparks up to her perked nipples.

"I-I won't betray my queen…aaah!" one finger inside her. It slid with ease. Her glossy walls sucked his finger and coiled. Sasuke growled over her shoulders as he felt that tightness, he imagined it wrapped around his length and milking him.

"I don't care about your queen, tell me of_ her_, the pink girl" he rasped and sucked his breath as he slid another finger in, earning another dizzying moan from Anya, she once again arched her back aiding his pleasure with her butt. She scratched her nails over the burgundy walls as a calloused hand squeezed her medium sized breast hard enough to hurt. She gasped by the pain and pleasure and pressed her forehead over the wall as Sasuke began to pump his two long fingers ever so slowly into her. Shivers, sparks and spasms of pleasure with each and every pump. It swollen her as fire collected into the very tip of her bud, it yearned to be massaged but she knew that he won't do unless she spoke. Ahh how cruel…

Just a flick and she'll climax. She trembled and hissed as his fingers stopped. The hand in her breast found her sensitive nipple and he pinched it gently. Just a flick and she'll lose it. She screamed in both pleasure and frustration. Temptation had kissed her.

"S-She…" Anya just couldn't. She bit her lips hard enough to bleed. She adored her queen and would not have the courage to betray her ever… Not for carnal desire.

"She?" Sasuke purred as he rolled her rosy skin between his fingers, teasing that nipple to white-hot desire. He pressed inside her so she wouldn't lose her climb, torturing her a bit more as it began to hurt. "I'm not going after your queen" he pressed. "Just the girl" he buried his face on her black silk, her hair smelled sweet like plum blossoms. "Just the girl, Anya"

Anya whimpered as his hot breath fanned the back of her neck where he remained buried. She wanted release as well to give none to him but this was her losing game, unfortunately.

"She is with queen, still, but you have to find out where the base is. A-Ahh..!" Sasuke rewarded her with another firm pump, the hand over her breast trailed down her curves and glided off the purple silk from her milky skin, the fabric rested over her firm ass and he returned his arousal in between. He was moist and slick, ready to take her as she was ready for him. He teased himself against her and was slowly losing patience, the aphrodisiacs where clouding his mind. He parted her leg with a move with his own, the widening gave deeper access to Sasuke's fingers making Anya coil dangerously around his fingers. "Ah! Mmhh…N-North…"

And she squealed. She gave waves of ecstatic moans as her walls spasm tightly around his fingers, sucking them with slick juices that dripped down his knuckles. Her legs suddenly lost half the strength to support her pinned body and they shook furiously.

The scent she gave as her arousal exploded blinded him. He salivated as he slid off his fingers. Her little body still trembled under him as he brought his glossed fingers to his mouth and tasted.

"Sweet" he purred in her ear and undid her long braid. Her black hair cascaded with baby waves down to her waist and he pulled away to embrace the view of this beautiful half-naked woman that had just climaxed.

"Beautiful"

Anya panted and slid down just a bit as she lost support, she was half-bended against the wall. Never in her life had she had such a thunderous orgasm. It rippled with painful pleasure that came in ribbons of electricity. She tingled and her nipples sent sharp sensations down her lower abdomen, surely she would come again with a long brush over her entrance, she was that sensitive. She felt as two hot hands slid down the vague silk that covered her body in a graceful move. The fabric tickled her skin and bumps trailed her small body in a shiver, like a ghostly caress.

He saw the reaction her body gave, close to slow-motion as he activated his Sharingan, he wanted to record this beautiful woman that surely he'd forget her name in days but not this moment. This he will remember, always.

The way she trembled, she panted and sighed.

How her slick hair stick to her body as sweat moisten it.

How she looked at him with half-lidded brown eyes and reddish cheeks.

Her glossy red lips that were parted and hid perfect white teeth and rosy tongue.

Her exposed milky skin that was flawless and when she turned to face him, the rosy mounds and a hairless womanhood, dripped in her juices.

She only had one, one scar over her hip. Translucent but beautiful. _I will start there…_

He gently pushed her over the round bed, she fell gracefully, like she belonged there and her long hair fanned her beautiful features. He climbed on top of her and kissed that scar. She shivered and he felt her little hands tuck under his white open-collar shirt and tugged it down in which he exposed his ripped chest to her wide eyes, she gulped approvingly then shyly brought her hands to each side of her face. He loved that gesture because he intended to do it all. He glided his tongue up to the valley of her chest- caught her lips with the hunger he'd been suppressing and she reciprocated with a shy need, which sent sparks down his member and it tightened under his pants down the uncomfortable road.

Her muffled mewls rumbled in this tongue and lips as he yet again found her entrance. God she was slick and warm, simply perfect. He played with her as he devoured her mouth, she was the definition of sugar. Though he wasn't a sweet tooth, for women, he was. She pressed her legs to his body as she began to climb her high and Sasuke took this as a sign to enhance her sensitivity by breaking their kiss and sliding down to a perky breast and suck it. He lavished it and flicked his tongue just by the peak. She gave out a few gasps and moans and she reached out to his raven locks.

A deep growl rumbled his chest as the mere feeling of her hand tickling his skull shot sparks of dangerous pleasure. He needed her now. And he tired of games…

Anya couldn't remember the last time a man had ever exploded her sexual pleasure to a blinding state, in fact, none have since this…Sasuke. All went too fast for her to register. One second he was on top of her half naked and the next he was buried inside her. His length stretched her walls painfully but accompanied by a million tingles that instantly numbed the pain. She squealed in a tone she'd never imagine she could muster and she held onto his triceps hard enough that her blunt nails clawed into his skin while he buried himself into her without mercy.

Pressure began to build in her walls and both felt it. His movements became more firm and longer for friction. She gasped and began to tense in shaky intervals. She no longer could scream and all she could do was wait for that explosion but it kept on building and building until suddenly all she saw was white. She heard screams and downed they were hers. The raven was showered with her juices and she couldn't control her spasms.

A gasp escaped her lips as he slid out. His seed oozed from her entrance to the dark sheets. She watched as he fixed himself and took a glance at her, no longer crimson eyes, but onyx black.

Ah, he must be…

Her face paled.

"Y-you're… I-Itachi's!"

Anya wanted to throw up. She _did_ screw up. Everyone knew that the Akatsuki's younger brother was out for his head! And she just told him where to go and look! She sent a killer to their bossom!

Sasuke saw how the woman paled as she finally realized her mistake, but it was too late. He sighed as she ran about for her garments hazed still with the aphrodisiacs, tumbling here and there. His seed trailed down one of her long legs as she picked up her pink obi. His face a frown.

_Can't risk it_. Sasuke thought as he drew closer to her, she didn't noticed him since she was focused on getting her things, he took her wrist and she looked at him wide eyed.

"W-what?" her smudged red lips trembled as she merely whispered the word.

"I can't risk a child" his smooth voice echoed in her head and it downed to her what those words meant. He was going to kill her.

She tried to break away from his steel grip but he made no move to end her. Her eyes stung with tears of regret and disappointment in her. She should've known, she should've been stronger!

Then those haunting red eyes glowed.

Sasuke took the unconscious woman in his arms and placed her back into the round bed. He sat by the edge of the bed and brushed the hair away from her porcelain face. He really liked her but it was over, just like the others he'd slept with. He smoothed his hand down her bare torso until he reached over her pelvis and a blue spark shot current into her from his hand. It killed any live seed and once that was over he stood up and walked away.

She will remember them together, but hazed and no conversation. No fear, no nothing. Just them under the sheets.

Cold.

Cold tea, straight from the nightmares.

"Well if you would've been quicker it'll still be hot" Shot Suigetsu with a toothy grin that spelled 'naughty'.

Something erased Suigetsu after that comment, a red blur or god knows what. But yeah, he was knocked out.

"Sasuke-kun h-how could you?!" wailed Karin as she began to land feather punches at him.

"Karin" Sasuke snapped at her making her sit tight. He wasn't about to let her ruin the little happiness he had.

Her hands were fisted and white-knuckled as they shook. Her head hung low and you could see the tip of her fine nose reddening under her brown glasses and crimson choppy bangs.

"I-I've always...always" she began to sob and drops of salty tears fell to the floor. "f-for you… all" she couldn't finish what she wanted to say since she hurt. She had tried everything and literally everything to get his attention! But for what? She turned around and ran out of the tavern while she wept. She felt betrayed even though they had no special relationship with him. She felt like a fool and so she ran far, far away from there. It was only then when he would come for her.

"Ooooooh you've done it again Sasuke-kun" came Suigetsu as he collected himself from the floor. He had a bloody nose and a teeth knocked out. "Damn, I hate being a traveler! Can't use my water clone. Bitch hits hard" he gingerly wiped his face with a cloth and looked over at a indifferent Sasuke. "She's gonna go y'know?"

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Women. Karin always, always, took it bad whenever he lays down with other women and as always she'd disappear. It would've been good if he didn't need her but she was crucial for his goal and no one can't mess with that. Not when he was so close.

"We have a lead" Said Sasuke. _I'll look for her later_. "We're due north tomorrow morning"

"That was fast"

"Tell Juugo and be ready by then both of you"

"Hn I don't think that'll be possible" he pointed out over his shoulder to the left. Where indistinct girls cooed.

Sasuke smiled. "hn"

"Yeah, he's more of a lady magnet than you, Sasuke"

"He sure is"

Meanwhile, Juugo enjoyed the company of four beautiful girls in short yukatas, they all cuddled around him with glistening eyes and sticky interest.

Who knew Juugo had it with him. He even took a squeeze of a girl's butt…

* * *

**There you go readers! I hope I made it up with the steam content in this chapter. I know it may seem weird for Sasuke to be such a skirt flipper but come on...he's a man xD. I personally don't like OC but I did so in this chapter for information. I apologize for it to the people that don't like this. :(( Won't ever happen again!**

**My reason for this, let's say hiatus, was because my other computer fried! I went to repair it and there was noting they could do about it. Apparently the battery got so hot that it melted a plastic film over the mother board and fried it dead. :( I loved that computer -sniffs- it understood me xD RIP. So yeah I had to start some savings for a new one but being a single mom with debts its nearly impossible to save up fast but chapters 15 to 17 are already written in paper so I just gotta pass 'em and upload them! Sakura will get back to her old prime self and lots of shit is gonna happen! **

**Stay tuned!**

**PS. I. HATE. KARIN.**


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